California Speeders Face Big Fines in School Zones

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- California drivers unwilling to back off the accelerator at back-to-school time should prepare to pay a hefty price. The average cost of a speeding ticket in a California school zone is $213 – according to an Allstate Insurance Company back-to-school survey of 26 traffic courts across the state.

"Back to school means back off the accelerator," said John Jacques, an Allstate agency owner in Woodland Hills. "Getting caught will cost you, but Allstate is asking drivers to slow down in school zones not for fear of getting a ticket, but for the safety of our children."  

Different Costs for Different Cities

Fines and fees can vary. In Los Angeles, a school zone speeding ticket can cost a driver $147 for the first offense. In San Francisco County, the total bill with assessments can surge to $219. Mendocino County has one of California's most hefty price tags for school zone violators at $247.

Bus Stop Blunders

Allstate and California police are reminding drivers that safety during back-to-school time stretches outside school zones as well. Pass a California school bus with safety lights flashing and the fines can be even higher than if you're caught speeding. In some areas of the state the fines for rolling past a school bus surpass $700. Allstate's research shows the average violation for first-time school bus violators is $588.

California Superior Courts in the county where the violation occurs ultimately decide how much a driver pays in fines and fees associated with school zone violations.

Five School Zone Safety Tips

The traffic safety specialists at Allstate offer the following five tips for tackling back to school driving:  

1. Drive slowly and carefully in school zones.
2. Even if you don't have kids, learn the school zones on your routine routes to work or when running errands.
3. Watch for children walking in streets, especially if there are no sidewalks. Scan between parked vehicles for hard-to-see children.
4. Where there are buses there are children. Be alert around school buses and bus stops.
5. Use caution around crosswalks and obey crossing guards.

To gather the data, Allstate Insurance Company surveyed twenty-six California Superior Courts between August 2 and August 9, 2010. The company used telephone and email as methods of contact to get the courts' 2010 Uniform Fee & Bail Schedules. Allstate asked for the cost of a speeding ticket at 10 miles per hour above the posted limit in a school zone as well as the fine for passing a school bus with its safety lights flashing.

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the "You're In Good Hands With Allstate®" slogan, Allstate is reinventing protection and retirement to help more than 17 million households insure what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow. Consumers access Allstate insurance products and services through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via www.allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate®.

SOURCE Allstate Corporation

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