The following message was released by the city of Bonney Lake Police Department:

Through the end of June 2014, officers will conduct a traffic enforcement emphasis looking for speeding vehicles in school zones and park zones.

With the weather getting nicer outside and school out for summer, we expect to see a greater number of pedestrians on or near the roadways.

Keeping children safe in designated school and park zones is a top priority.  As a driver, the most important thing you can do to protect children in school and park zones is to slow down.  It is our goal to improve the pedestrian safety in these areas by reminding motorists to slow down to the posted speed limits.

School Zone Statistics

Washington State law, RCW 46.61.440, defines the rules for driving in a school zone/playground and assigns a penalty for breaking those rules. Remember that the speed limit in a school zone is 20 mph. A speeding ticket will cost you double the fine of the normal infraction for speeding.  The fines range from $189 to $784 depending on how fast you are driving.

According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, if a pedestrian is hit by a car going 20 mph, the pedestrian has an 80 to 90 percent chance of survival. If the same car were going 5 to 10 mph faster, the pedestrian has a 90 percent change of being killed. Speed makes a huge difference.

Speed Kills

On Washington roadways, there were 1,045 speeding involved fatal crashes between 2004 and 2008.  These crashes resulted in a total of 1,166 deaths, which is an average of 233 per year.  This accounts for approximately 40 percent of all traffic deaths during the five-year period.

Officers will impose a no tolerance policy on these violations through the end of June and will be issuing traffic infractions in an attempt to reduce injuries and deaths that result from motor vehicle collisions in school/park zones and also that involve speeding 15 MPH or more over the posted speed limits.