Do school zone speed limits apply when classes aren’t in session? See what PA law says

Ready to head back to school? As classes get set to begin across Pennsylvania, you might need to brush up on some traffic laws if you plan on driving your children in the morning or picking them up in the afternoon.

Pennsylvania enforces stiff penalties against drivers who break speed limits in many scenarios, including inside active school zones. But what makes a school zone active, and are the potential punishments really that bad?

Here’s what you need to know about Pennsylvania’s laws on speeding, school zones and more as classes return to session.

What are school zones?

In Pennsylvania, school zones are designated areas surrounding schools designed to predict pedestrians — namely children — as they commute to and from school. Commonwealth law requires local authorities and municipalities to mark these zones using signs at the beginning and end of the school zone, plus add flashing speed limit sign beacons.

According to Pennsylvania’s code , a school zone can stretch beyond a school’s property lines to improve sight distance or include crosswalks. However, the length of a school zone can’t exceed 1,600 feet.

Although limits are less strict in some other states, school zone speed limits tap out at 15 mph in Pennsylvania.

When are school zone speed limits in effect? Are there penalties?

Notably, school zone speed limits are effective only when the lights on a school zone sign are flashing or during the times indicated on the school zone’s signage.

Anyone found guilty of speeding in a school zone commits a summary offense punishable by at least a $35 fine. Those who exceed any maximum speed limit by more than 5 mph in Pennsylvania in certain scenarios — on bridges, in school zones and in active work zones, among others — must pay an additional fine of $2 per mile for each mile in excess of 5 mph above the maximum speed limit.

Those who are caught speeding in a school zone by more than 11 mph must pay an additional $500 fine.

Drivers who are found exceeding the speed limit of a school zone incur three points on their driving records . In Pennsylvania, points are also added for general excessive speeding, ranging from two points for speeding between 6 and 10 mph above a posted speed limit to five points for speeding more than 31 mph above the posted rate.

Licenses are automatically suspended when a driver’s record reaches 11 points. A driver receiving their first suspension accrues five days of suspension per point, while someone who has had their license suspended at least three times could face more than a year of suspension for a subsequent offense.

More speeding laws in Pennsylvania

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the commonwealth defines maximum speed limits for the following scenarios:

• 35 mph in any urban district
• 65 or 70 mph for all vehicles on freeways
• 25 mph in a residential district where the road is not a numbered traffic route and “is functionally classified by [a local department] as a local highway”
• 55 mph “in other locations”

Pennsylvania’s code gives local authorities the power to establish minimum speed limits for roads on which “slow speeds impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.” On the other hand, drivers can still be ticketed for driving with a posted speed limit if road conditions such as heavy rain or snow would necessitate driving at a slower speed. Drivers who move their vehicles significantly below a one-lane road’s maximum posted speed while impeding the flow of traffic should pull off and return once it’s safe and without blocking traffic.

The PA Traffic Injury Prevention Project , funded by PennDOT, offers the following chart displaying the base fines for speeding in several speed limit zones across the commonwealth. These scales, last revised in May 2023, show fines that may be coupled with additional penalties and fees for drivers who are repeat offenders or are caught driving in school zones or active work zones, among other locations.

Notably, Pennsylvania grants drivers a small cushion around maximum speed limits if police officers are recording vehicle speeds using speedometers or other electronic devices. However, this does not apply to electronically recorded evidence of speeding within school zones or active work zones.

“No person may be convicted upon evidence obtained through the use of [electronic devices] unless the speed is six or more miles per hour in excess of the legal speed limit,” Pennsylvania’s code reads.

That protection increases on roads with slower speed limits .

“Furthermore, no person may be convicted upon evidence obtained through the use of [electronic devices] in an area where the legal speed limit is less than 55 miles per hour if the speed recorded is less than ten miles per hour in excess of the legal speed limit.

Can I drive over the speed limit to keep up with traffic? What Pennsylvania law says

Staying safe on Pennsylvania roads

PennDOT maintains many guides and brochures offering safety tips for Pennsylvania drivers, all available online at no cost .

To put things simply, the agency encourages drivers to “Start SMART” and “Stay SMART” — a series of acronyms offering straightforward safety tips.

Start SMART

• S — Seat belt on, seat adjusted
• M — Mirrors adjusted and clear
• A — Air conditioning, heating and defrost panels set
• R — Radio and audio panel set
• T — Thoroughly check the area for traffic, people and objects

Stay SMART

• S — Watch your speed
• M — Frequently check your mirrors
• A — Avoid distractions
• R — Remember the rules of the road
• T — Give yourself enough time to reach your destination