School Zone Traffic Ticket

There are two types of Speeding in a School Zone infraction. The first type is when there is actually an officer present who stops you and gives you the ticket there. The second is photo enforcement. While both are similar in that they will impact your wallet, there is a key distinction between the two. When you are actually pulled over, that type of ticket goes on your record.

The Department of Licensing knows who was the driver of the vehicle and can make sure the ticket goes on the correct record. When it is a photo enforcement ticket, the DOL doesn’t actually know who the driver was so it is treated like a parking ticket.

A speeding in a school zone ticket is very similar to a normal speeding ticket except for the fact that there is the additional element of where the speeding took place. The school zone itself has to be an active school zone. However, the definition of “active” is somewhat broad. It is not simply that children were present. It could also be considered an active zone if there are signs posting specific times or if there is a flashing light.

This occasionally confuses drivers because they think since, for example, they can disregard the signs if it is during the summer or in the evening. The problem is many schools have after school programs that go into the evening or summer school/programs.

If you are facing a school zone ticket, give us a call to discuss your options. It is important to keep all tickets off of your record, especially school zone tickets. Future prosecutors, judges, and insurance companies will see that ticket and will be especially concerned about your driving habits.

Our Olympia criminal lawyers serve all of Thurston County. Call now for help and real answers.