Michigan School Zone Laws Drivers Forget Every Fall

Michigan drivers are about to get reacquainted with one of the summer's least-missed roadside attractions: the flashing school-zone speed limit sign.

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With students returning to the classroom, school zones across Michigan are coming back to life, along with crossing guards, buses, backpack traffic, and drivers suddenly remembering they probably shouldn't be doing 55 past an elementary school.

How Michigan School Zone Speed Limits Work

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Under Michigan Vehicle Code Section 257.627a, a school-zone speed limit can be set as much as 20 mph below the posted speed, but generally cannot be lower than 25 mph. The reduced limit generally applies up to 30 minutes before school starts and again from dismissal until up to 30 minutes after the last scheduled session. Signs near the school indicate the lower limits, so pay attention.

Michigan law defines a school zone as school property plus the area extending 1,000 feet from that property in any direction. In other words, the school zone does not simply end because you can no longer see the playground.

Speeding in a Michigan School Zone Costs More

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Here's the part that can turn your morning commute into an expensive lesson. Under Michigan law, a driver responsible for a moving violation in a school zone during the designated school-day period is subject to double the fine normally imposed for that violation.

RELATED: Michigan Drivers Could Face $500 Fine for Passing a School Bus

Speeding can also add points to your driving record, depending on how far over the speed limit you were traveling. And, of course, there is the more important reason to slow down: kids are everywhere.

So when those school-zone signs wake up again this fall, lift your right foot, watch for kids, and accept that arriving at work 45 seconds later will not destroy your career.