When does a school zone end?

[puma guy]

Driving home this afternoon I encountered a 20MPH school zone sign and slowed to the appropriate speed before entering. Further down the road I encountered a 40 MPH sign and resumed my speed. Driving on a ways I saw another 20 MPH school zone sign and also a patrol unit parked up on a car wash parking lot. I again slowed to 20MPH before I entered the school zone. The patrol unit pulled me over for going 40 in a school zone. I told her I slowed before I entered the SZ and she said it was before I passed her and the sign she was parked by. I told the officer there was a 40 MPH sign after the school zone sign I first encountered and that's why I sped up when I saw a 40MPH speed limit. She told me the 40mph speed limit sign doesn't mean I can speed up. I told her I thought that 40MPH sign effectively ended the school zone and she told me I was wrong. She let me off with a warning, unless I wanted to argue with her. I took the warning and told her to stay safe and have a good day. I thought it would be on my camera, but for some reason it stopped recording March 20 even though it beeps and has a heads-up display. What say you? Any LEO's or jurists out there?

[RicoTX]

The school zone continues until a sign saying it stops, or a marking on the pavement saying it stops. Its weird that there would be 2 school signs facing you but spread apart. Glad u got just a warning. I am not a LEO, so this is my personal opinion. I have a dash cam as well, and will double check it tomorrow to verify it is working!

[puma guy]

The school zone continues until a sign saying it stops, or a marking on the pavement saying it stops. Its weird that there would be 2 school signs facing you but spread apart. Glad u got just a warning. I am not a LEO, so this is my personal opinion. I have a dash cam as well, and will double check it tomorrow to verify it is working!

Thanks. I have encountered many, many school zones that don't have "end of school zone" signs and just have a normal speed limit sign to end them, especially on highways.

[Keith B]

The school zone continues until a sign saying it stops, or a marking on the pavement saying it stops. Its weird that there would be 2 school signs facing you but spread apart. Glad u got just a warning. I am not a LEO, so this is my personal opinion. I have a dash cam as well, and will double check it tomorrow to verify it is working!

Thanks. I have encountered many, many school zones that don't have "end of school zone" signs and just have a normal speed limit sign to end them, especially on highways.

What school and road? Use street view to review the signs.

[jason812]

The school zone continues until a sign saying it stops, or a marking on the pavement saying it stops. Its weird that there would be 2 school signs facing you but spread apart. Glad u got just a warning. I am not a LEO, so this is my personal opinion. I have a dash cam as well, and will double check it tomorrow to verify it is working!

Thanks. I have encountered many, many school zones that don't have "end of school zone" signs and just have a normal speed limit sign to end them, especially on highways.

That's how most if them around here work.

[Jusme]

There should be no speed limit signs inside a school zone. Once you enter a school zone, it continues until other notice of speed is given. If they have a black and white 40 mph sign, with no disclaimer such as except during school zone hours, driving at that speed is legal. It sounds like you may have either driven through two separate school zones, one that I know of is on 377 Benbrook highway on the SW side of Fort Worth, or they have intentionally set up an illegal speed trap. A legal speed limit sign, with no disclaimer, has force of law, and if you are ticketed, it can be easily dismissed, with photographic evidence. More than likely, the officer, did not know, that there were two separate zones. I would contact their supervisor, and explain the situation. Others, may get tickets, when none is deserved. JMHO

[bbhack]

I assume that when you pass the sign in the other direction that you have left the school zone, even if there is no end sign. Nothing else makes sense.

We have a weird one close by. A blinking light at a charter school. You pass the blinking light facing the other direction and a few hundred feet later is a sign that indicates 2:00 - 5:00, then a few hundred feet later, another blinking light for another school. The blinking lights are never on later than 4:00, so there's this weird zone in between other zones that very few people pay attention to after about 4:00. The cops know it's goofed, cause I never see them enforce it.

[puma guy]

The school zone continues until a sign saying it stops, or a marking on the pavement saying it stops. Its weird that there would be 2 school signs facing you but spread apart. Glad u got just a warning. I am not a LEO, so this is my personal opinion. I have a dash cam as well, and will double check it tomorrow to verify it is working!

Thanks. I have encountered many, many school zones that don't have "end of school zone" signs and just have a normal speed limit sign to end them, especially on highways.

What school and road? Use street view to review the signs.

My encounter this afternoon was in Deer Park. I found the answer to my question and I am right and the officer is wrong. Posting a regular speed sign within a school zone sets the speed at the level on the regular speed sign. As for school zones that don't have end of SZ signs two come to mind. One on Hwy 46 W and one on CR32 Comal County.

[SewTexas]

The school zone continues until a sign saying it stops, or a marking on the pavement saying it stops. Its weird that there would be 2 school signs facing you but spread apart. Glad u got just a warning. I am not a LEO, so this is my personal opinion. I have a dash cam as well, and will double check it tomorrow to verify it is working!

Thanks. I have encountered many, many school zones that don't have "end of school zone" signs and just have a normal speed limit sign to end them, especially on highways.

What school and road? Use street view to review the signs.

My encounter this afternoon was in Deer Park. I found the answer to my question and I am right and the officer is wrong. Posting a regular speed sign within a school zone sets the speed at the level on the regular speed sign. As for school zones that don't have end of SZ signs two come to mind. One on Hwy 46 W and one on CR32 Comal County.

you might want to contact the dept then, so that others don't get tickets from her.

[puma guy]

There should be no speed limit signs inside a school zone. Once you enter a school zone, it continues until other notice of speed is given. If they have a black and white 40 mph sign, with no disclaimer such as except during school zone hours, driving at that speed is legal. It sounds like you may have either driven through two separate school zones, one that I know of is on 377 Benbrook highway on the SW side of Fort Worth, or they have intentionally set up an illegal speed trap. A legal speed limit sign, with no disclaimer, has force of law, and if you are ticketed, it can be easily dismissed, with photographic evidence. More than likely, the officer, did not know, that there were two separate zones. I would contact their supervisor, and explain the situation. Others, may get tickets, when none is deserved. JMHO

Thanks! I should've read your post before I replied to Excaliber. I knew I had read the code somewhere on this and I found it. You reaffirm what I just read on the subject. I think it may be a purposeful thing in Deer Park and I saw the same thing in South Houston. South Houston recently altered a SZ I frequently drive and they have two regular speed signs posted within the zone. It used to be set up on "normal" fashion. I didn't really go into detail about the officer's demeanor in my OP, but she was quite arrogant, especially when I asked her about the law of posting a normal speed sign within the SZ. She said she doesn't have to know the law. I was taken aback with that remark, was expecting a ticket and was surprised when she let me off.

[anygunanywhere]

Deer Park is notorious for speed traps and other revenue enhancement shenanigans.

There is an excellent traffic ticket attorney in Deer Park. His name is Kenneth Bradshaw. His website was Deer Park Law but for some reason it isn’t coming up. He has handled multiple tickets for me and SWMBO. Matter of fact my last ticket was in Deer Park for speeding on Hwy 225. I was a tad in excess of the posted limit. Mr Bradshaw gets me adjudication every time. He got a ticket that Mrs Anygun got from DPS in Galveston County dismissed. There is a reason his office is in DP.

[puma guy]

Deer Park is notorious for speed traps and other revenue enhancement shenanigans.

There is an excellent traffic ticket attorney in Deer Park. His name is Kenneth Bradshaw. His website was Deer Park Law but for some reason it isn’t coming up. He has handled multiple tickets for me and SWMBO. Matter of fact my last ticket was in Deer Park for speeding on Hwy 225. I was a tad in excess of the posted limit. Mr Bradshaw gets me adjudication every time. He got a ticket that Mrs Anygun got from DPS in Galveston County dismissed. There is a reason his office is in DP.

Thanks! I didn't get ticketed, but if I ever do I'll keep him in mind.

[anygunanywhere]

Deer Park is notorious for speed traps and other revenue enhancement shenanigans.

There is an excellent traffic ticket attorney in Deer Park. His name is Kenneth Bradshaw. His website was Deer Park Law but for some reason it isn’t coming up. He has handled multiple tickets for me and SWMBO. Matter of fact my last ticket was in Deer Park for speeding on Hwy 225. I was a tad in excess of the posted limit. Mr Bradshaw gets me adjudication every time. He got a ticket that Mrs Anygun got from DPS in Galveston County dismissed. There is a reason his office is in DP.

Thanks! I didn't get ticketed, but if I ever do I'll keep him in mind.

He handles tickets in Harris and most surrounding counties.

[twomillenium]

I believe the officer needs some retraining, I asked three different LEO friends at three separate times and they all three said the last speed zone sign you pass is the one of record.

[puma guy]

I believe the officer needs some retraining, I asked three different LEO friends at three separate times and they all three said the last speed zone sign you pass is the one of record.