What is the speed limit when you drive within 500 to 1000 feet of a school while children are outside or crossing the street?

• A. 25 mph
• B. 15 mph
• C. 35 mph
• D. 20 mph

Answer: (A)

When kids are near a school and outside or crossing the street, slow down to 25 mph. This reduced speed is there to give you more time to react to children who may dart into the road and to shorten your stopping distance in a high-risk area. In California, the school-zone rule commonly requires a 25 mph limit in the vicinity when children are present, including the stretch roughly 500 to 1,000 feet from the school. The other speeds aren’t appropriate for this situation because they don’t reflect the heightened precaution needed around schools with children actively near or crossing the roadway. Always watch for school-zone signs, and when children are present, drive at 25 mph.