What you need to know about hidden costs of speeding in a school zone

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The school year is beginning for families and for drivers who will have to slow down in school zones.

The greatest loss is the potential loss of life - a child or parent hit or killed walking in a school zone. However, even a ticket in a school zone can have long-lasting impacts on your wallet, and you may get one when you don't expect it.

Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Stephen Woodard says that while a flashing light is usually a good indicator of an active school zone, the driver is responsible for heeding the exact time and days of the school zone on the sign, because a light won't always be present.

"Absolutely, it's not the light. It is the zone and the sign itself," Woodard said.

In addition, the speed limit is not always 20 miles per hour. It could be just 5 miles per hour.

If a police officer has his lights on and has an individual stopped or is assisting someone," Woodard said. "If that officer has their emergency lights on within that school zone, that zone now reduces down to five miles an hour."

ABC13 talked to the team at The Zebra, a company that helps drivers compare insurance rates, about what happens to your rates when you receive a speeding ticket in a school zone.

"School zone tickets can be penalized more harshly than a regular speeding ticket might be," insurance analyst Beth Swanson said.

Not only are the tickets often more expensive than other speeding tickets, research at The Zebra shows the average adult driver in Texas sees an average increase of $31 per month on auto insurance.

"If they decide to penalize you more harshly for being in a school zone, that could raise your rates even more than the $31, which is the average per month increase that you would see for a school zone ticket. But that'll stay with you for three to five years. One speeding ticket can affect your budget for years," Swanson said.

She says you could also lose a 'safe driver' discount, which would raise your rates even more. The penalties can also be steep for a teenage driver that might get a ticket in their own school zone or when dropping off a sibling, so don't forget to have that discussion with them as the school year begins.

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