School zone speed restrictions starting Thursday

With students returning to in-class learning Thursday, local law enforcement is reminding drivers to slow down in school zones.

Law enforcement is reminding drivers to be aware marked school zones (and for pedestrians.

News 18's balint szalavari is live in front of west lafayette intermediate school.

Balint, what other precautions should drivers be taking?

Good morning marlee, it's been around 5 months since school busses have ran bus routes across the community.

Now, drivers will need to pay attention to marked school zones.

I spoke with lafayette jeff's school resource officer mark roberts.

He told me drivers need to be on the lookout for flashing yellow lights, indicating an active school zone.

When the lights are flashing, a reduced speed limit is in place.

For zones within the lafayette school corporation, speeds are limited to 20 miles per hour.

Roberts says following the posted speed reduces the risk of accidents.

"you have more vehicular traffic dropping their kids off and you have more foot traffic walking to school.

So we don't want someone not to be paying attention, driving too fast."

Speeds will be reduced from 7:30 to 8:30 in the morning and 2:30 to 3:30 in the afternoon within lafayette.

Roberts says the lafayette police department plan to have more officers enforcing school zone speed limits over the next few weeks.

Tippecanoe school corporation and west lafayette community school corporation's school zones will also be in effect during the morning and afternoon.

As a reminder, enforcement will begin tomorrow as students return to school.

Reporting live in west lafayette, balint szalavari, news 18.

Two new school resource officers are gearing up for the first day of classes at the tippecanoe