Slow down – it’s a school zone!

By Geniene P.

I have been doing a solely unsolicited observation of the speed of drivers near two schools I pass by every morning.  I have noticed that when I drive by Market Street School in Boardman, on Market Street, people are driving 25 miles per hour (sometimes more but not often) and that a state highway patrol car tends to sit in wait in a business lot a few doors away.  I’m happy when I see that patrol car because it really makes drivers slow down and people that regularly drive that route know this cruiser tends to be there.  I guess a flashing sign is not enough for drivers to understand they need to slow down.  When I get to the old South High School locale, which is now Eagle Heights Academy, I constantly see cars fly right by that school.  Hello!  They are both school zones.  They both have the sign with the flashing lights notifying drivers that the speed limit is 20 MPH at that moment (I love this type of reminder).  Is there a problem with comprehension of the speed limit unless a trooper is lying in wait?  Do we need to have a police car sitting in front of our schools to get citizens to observe the law?  Even before I had a child, I would be observant that I was driving near a school and slow down.  I wish there was a patrol car in front of each school zone during drop off and pick up hours but know that isn’t feasible with budget constraints and all.  However, maybe we need a little reminder from time to time to observe the speed limits in school zones and a patrol car can occasionally be situated near various schools?  It’s working at the Market Street School.