Back to school safety: school zones and bus stops

MEDFORD, Ore. — Students will head back to school in Medford next week, which means police will be watching school zones, bus stops and crosswalks.

The Medford Police Department said with the nicer weather in the morning, more kids are going to be out walking to school.

Speeds are reduced to 20 miles per hour in all school zones, most are in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on school days or whenever kids are present.

For school buses, drivers are required to stop for all school buses stopped with flashing red warning lights, even if you’re driving in the opposite direction. The only exception is when there’s a full physical barrier separating the two sides of the street.

“Even if you’re on, for example, Crater Lake Avenue, where there’s a lot of school buses because you’ve got elementary schools and you’ve got a high school over there,” said Medford police Lieutenant Trevor Arnold. “If a school bus stops on Crater Lake Ave. near Grand and you have five lanes of traffic, all five lanes of traffic have to stop.”

If you’re caught speeding in a school zone the fine doubles, meaning you could pay anywhere between $220 and $870 per ticket depending on how fast you’re going.