LAKELAND, Fla. – Polk County has been ranked as one of the deadliest counties in the state for pedestrians, which is why police are reminding drivers to slow down and pay attention as school begins on Monday.
What they’re saying:
Cristaly Reyes lives across from Dixieland Elementary School in Lakeland. She says cars don’t just speed in the school zone; they fly!
“It just doesn’t matter about the speed, you know. Even when the kids are around, they don’t care, honestly,” she said.
Why you should care:
School starts on Monday for Polk County students. During the 2023-24 school year, 25 Polk County Public School students were involved in vehicle-related crashes, resulting in 13 deaths.
Lakeland Police are reminding drivers to pay attention in school zones for pedestrians, bicyclists, and even e-bikers, as e-bikes have increased in popularity.
“They have the same rules as a normal bicycle; however, with that extra power, they go a little faster, and some kids can’t quite control it yet,” said Sgt. Doug Mills with the Motor Unit Traffic Division.
School buses will be equipped with cameras ready to catch drivers blowing past the red arm stop signs.
Tracking the Tropics: NOAA updates seasonal outlook; tracking two disturbances
Since the program went into effect last year, a spokesperson for the school district says nearly 13,000 violations have been issued.
The city of Lakeland approved school speed zone cameras in June, but they won’t be active until later this fall, around November.
The cameras record drivers going at least ten miles per hour over the posted speed limit and will be operational during school zone times in the morning and afternoon.
Cameras will be placed near the following eight schools:
- Lincoln Academy
- Crystal Lake Elementary
- Philip O’Brien Elementary
- Southwest Middle
- North Lakeland Elementary
- Lakeland High
- Lakeland Highlands Middle
- Sleepy Hill Elementary
“I’m hoping it reduces the speed,” said Sgt. Mills. “I hope, like the red light cameras, that over the course of time, people become aware they’re there, and they’ll lower their speed, which will obviously make the school zones a lot safer.”
Reyes wants people to slow down because, at the end of the day, speeding just isn’t worth it.
“You don’t have to speed,” said Reyes. “There are kids around or somebody you love, and you want them to come home, so obviously you have to think about that, you know?”
What’s next:
For the first two weeks of school, police will be out in full force re-educating drivers about the law. It depends on how fast you’re going, but, for example, ten miles per hour over the speed limit can land you with a $200 fine.
The Source: FOX 13 reporter Carla Bayron gathered the information for this story.
