Cary, N.C. — Cary police are working to get drivers to slow down in school zones or face a ticket.
Operation Flash Backer involves officers' moving among different school zones, checking for speeders.
Lt. Mark Parker said the plan, which will last through September, is an effort “to protect our smallest citizens.”
Since the program started this week, officers have issued 121 citations. One driver was stopped for traveling 59 mph in a 25 mph school zone.
The increased law enforcement is in response to two vehicle-pedestrian crashes that occurred in August and September 2006 near Green Hope High School. Drivers were not found to be at fault in either case, but the crashes did move the Cary Town Council to review pedestrian safety and make changes.
School zone warning signs and flashers were installed at all public schools in Cary throughout the summer.
“That is why the enforcement operation is in progress, to help reinforce that,” Parker said.
Keith Watkins’ son lives a short walk across the street from his school, but every day the child takes the school bus.
“That is not safe to have a little one crossing that street (Reedy Creek Road),” Watkins said.
Watkins said Reedy Creek Road is often a shortcut for people in a hurry. This year, the road was made into a school zone in an effort to slow down drivers, Reedy Creek Elementary Principal Trent Evans said.
In 2007, the Cary Town Council voted to lower speed limits near the district’s 22 public schools to at least 10 mph lower than regular posted speeds, though with no speeds lower than 25 mph.
Drivers should know that school zone speeds are in effect 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after school hours and that speeding violations within school zones carry a $50 fine plus court costs.
Cary police enforce school zone speed limits
- Reporter: Adam Owens
- Photographer: Mark Simpson
- Web Editor: Kathy Hanrahan
36 Comments
-
- Hagan, Burr express concern over health care funding
Updated at 8:33 a.m. |
- Raleigh among most dangerous cities for pedestrians
Updated at 12:10 p.m. - Wake County distributing large H1N1 vaccine shipment
Updated 37 minutes ago |
- Charlotte urban loop to be built with help of private funds
Updated 19 minutes ago |
- Cooking oil gets kicked to curb in Raleigh
Updated at 7:39 a.m. |
- Hagan, Burr express concern over health care funding
- Most Viewed Slideshows
- Families honor veterans 2009
Updated at 9:52 a.m. - Hurricane Ida
Updated at 9:02 a.m. - Photos: Cheerleading Championship
Nov. 7, 2009
- Families honor veterans 2009
(8 votes) cyclist dies following weekend collision
(7 votes) germany celebrates fall of berlin wall
-
Photo: Fall of the Berlin WallThe 28-year-old Cold War symbol along East Germany's fortified border crumbled on the evening of Nov. 9, 1989, a pivotal moment in the collapse of…
-
Fort Bragg homecomingThe 82nd Airborne's 3rd Brigade Combat Team, or Panther Brigade, is coming home after a year-long deployment to Iraq. Families greeted 200…
-
N.C. honors veterans with paradesNorth Carolina honored veterans Saturday with annual parades in Raleigh and Fayetteville and a ceremony at the State Capitol building.
-
Photos of the weekThe snow-covered Wilder Kaiser, part of the Alps, is reflected in Lake Schwarzsee in Austria. It's among the best photos taken by Associated Press…
-
The week in entertainmentA look at the top entertainment headlines this week through the lenses of Associated Press photographers.





STORIES
VIDEOS
SLIDESHOWS


Welcome to GOLO, where WRAL.com visitors can comment on stories and create profile pages, blogs and photo galleries.
You must be a registered WRAL.com user to use these tools. Click here to register or log in.