CPD cracks down on speeding in school zones

Columbia police are stepping up enforcement in school zones and on Thursday, ABC 17 News took a look at one school where speeding has been a big problem.

ABC 17 News rode along with an officer in the Traffic Unit as school was letting out at New Haven Elementary school.

Between 1:30 and 3:00 p.m., officer Scott Wilson wrote eight speeding tickets in that school zone alone.

The school zone speed limit is enforced from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at New Haven Elementary. Some drivers stopped Thursday clocked in at 40 miles per hour on the radar gun in the 20 miles per hour zone.

Wilson said a lot of people are not aware of the times when this school zone is enforced, and it varies from school to school in Columbia.

Because there are no flashing lights in the New Haven school zone, Wilson said many people drive through at normal speed and don’t even realize the speed limit is 20 miles per hour during the school day.

“The number on answer, when I ask people, or when I tell them why I stopped them in a school zone, they say, ‘well, I thought it was only when the lights were flashing,'” Wilson said. “I guess if I did have any advice, especially when it comes to this school zone here, is to pay more attention to school zone signage.”

CPD is using grant money to pay for officers to step up enforcement in school zones.