Dallas Police Warning Drivers They Are Monitoring & Enforcing Laws In School Zones

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) — Students have already returned to dozens of campuses across North Texas and Dallas police are reminding drivers that their Traffic Unit will be monitoring active school zones throughout the city.

Last year, there were 400 vehicle accidents in Dallas school zones, resulting in nearly a dozen serious injuries. The most common causes of these accidents are:

• Failure to control speed
• Driver inattention
• Failure to yield the right-of-way at a stop sign or private drive

Due to the increased foot and vehicle traffic around local schools, drivers are reminded to stay alert, refrain from using all electronic communication devices, and heed all warning signs when approaching school zones.

Police say there are some important things to remember when approaching or driving in a school zone:

• Know the starting and ending portions of the school zones you travel through.
• Some school zones have stop signs or traffic lights within them; forgetting
  that you are in a school zone once you start moving again is not an excuse.
• Our children's safety and lives depend on your heightened vigilance and
  caution.

Dallas traffic officers will be assigned to enforce all traffic violations, including motorists speeding through school zones, vehicles driving past school bus warning devices, and use of wireless communication devices in a school zone. Motorists in violation are subject to fines and court costs in excess of $200 per violation.