Speeding in a School Zone Ticket Lawyer Philadelphia
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Speeding tickets are issued throughout the Commonwealth for speeds above the posted speed limit. The penalty schedule for speeding varies significantly depending on the rate of speed: fines can be minimal or quite costly, while license points can range between 0 to an automatic suspension of license.
There are other factors that may contribute to more significant penalties beyond the standard penalty schedule. Among the most severe of these is speeding in a school zone. We as a society have rightfully placed added emphasis on protecting our children, and many of our laws reflect this societal consciousness. As such, any offense against children or that places them in danger is punished relatively harshly by the law, including Speeding in a School Zone.
While you may have simply missed the sign evidencing your entering a school zone or were unaware you were approaching a school, if caught speeding you will be ticketed for this offense, and suffer harsher penalties than for standard speeding infractions. The Law Offices of Greg Prosmushkin, P.C. can help mitigate these penalties by representing you in court.
Speeding in a School Zone Facts
In Philadelphia, you can be given a Speeding Ticket with points for speeding as little as 1 mph over the posted speed limit. This differs from standard speeding tickets which do not carry any points for tickets ranging between 1 and 5 mph over the limit.
All school zone speed limits are 15 mph, meaning that driving at even just 16 mph can result in a ticket carrying points. In fact, any speeding ticket in a school zone will automatically carry at least 3 points, contrary to standard speeding infractions which do not carry 3 or more points until speeding by 11+ mph.
Additionally, a second conviction of speeding in a school zone will result in a 60 day License Suspension. For comparison, you would need to be speeding by 31+ mph under normal point scheduling to be automatically suspended, and this suspension is only for 15 days. Obviously, the law takes speeding in school zones very seriously, provided this significant discrepancy in point penalty.
Why Do I Need a Lawyer?
Speeding has become an increasingly dangerous problem across the nation. As a way to crack down on violators state and local law enforcement have implemented more and more speed traps across highways and local streets…. especially areas near schools. There are roughly over 128,000 students within the Philadelphia School District. To ensure that these children get to and from school safely, Pennsylvania has designated certain areas as “School Zones” which essentially creates speeding restrictions in these areas during certain times. It is all to easy for you to have been distracted and miss seeing the school, or the restricted speeding signs announcing a school zone, until it was too late. This mistake inevitably caused you to drive too quickly through the school zone, and before you know it, you can see flashing lights in your rear view mirror.
As outlined above, the penalties for speeding in a school zone are significantly upgraded over standard speeding penalties. You should retain counsel in order to avoid these increased penalties, as significant points, fines, and potential license suspension should not be taken lightly.
The Law Offices of Greg Prosmushkin, P.C. have decades of experience handling all types of traffic matters in Philadelphia area courts. Let us help you. Call today to schedule an entirely Free Consultation with one of our Traffic Attorneys.