Signs Telling Drivers To Slow Down 300 Feet Before Schools Zones Could Become Law

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — A new law that would require street signs telling drivers to slow down 300 feet before they enter a school zone is being proposed by a Bayside politician.

State Sen. Tony Avella had the proposal added to a bill currently working its way through the senate, QNS.com reported. The new signs would tell drivers that the area is monitored by speed cameras and that they should slow down.

One of the most prominent arguments against the existing bill, according to State Sen. Avella, is that current tactics to reduce speeding near or in school zones are used to increase revenue rather than increase safety. Avella calls these tactics a “speed trap” because current notices on speed cameras have low visibility and drivers speed through school zones only to find out later that there was a camera.

“The amendment requires that the city put up signs for new and existing cameras reading ‘speed camera ahead,’” Avella said. “At that point, they’ll know that — hey — you better slow down or else you’re getting a ticket. There’s no ambiguity; the sign will clearly tell motorists ‘you’re approaching a school zone, so you need to slow down.”

According to Avella, recent negotiations did not reach a conclusion.

“Senator [Jeffrey] Klein said we should have a special session, so I imagine between now and January that negotiations will be ongoing,” Avella said. “I’d be willing to return for a special session.”

The School Zone Speed Camera bill has not yet been voted on by the State Senate, Avella confirmed. Session will resume in January.

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