Crime & Safety

Traffic Scofflaws Now Face Triple Fines Around Schools

The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to make penalties tougher around schools for people who flout traffic laws.

 

As a parent who regularly drops her kids off at elementary school, Vice Mayor Hilary Bryant noticed that when police are at the school parents are on their best behavior, driving slowly and letting kids out of the car in the proper places.

But the minute the squad cars and blue uniforms leave, parents and passersby drive like kids let out for recess.

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"They drop their kids and they rush right on to the next thing," said Bryant. Sometimes that means dropping the kids off on the wrong side of the street and letting them dart across passing traffic. Other drivers without kids seem to forget that they should slow down around them.

With that in mind, the Santa Cruz City Council voted unnaimously to triple fines for all kinds of transgressions against city codes, including disobeying a crossing guard, illegal parking or having an open container of alcohol. It's the same danger zone concept that the city police department has been using on holidays such as Halloween and New Year's Eve.

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Some on the council worried whether the ordinance should be slowed to allow for signs to be placed around the schools alerting of the increase.

"These things are already illegal," said Mayor Don Lane, deflating that argument.

The good and bad news for scofflaws is that even with the tripling, the highest city fine is around $330, the council was told by city staff. But the bad news is that with court enhancements, at an additional $30 for every $10 in fine, they can push $1,000.

That may open some eyes wider than that first cup of coffee.


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