KITSAP – With the start of the school year, the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office would like to reacquaint drivers about a couple of sections within the Revised Code of Washington under Title 46 (motor vehicles), Chapter 61 (rules of the road).

“It’s timely to remind motorists … about child passenger restraint requirements and school zone speed limits,” said Sheriff Gary Simpson.

Deputies conducting traffic safety enforcement have noticed an overall perception by a number of drivers who believe that certain paragraphs within a motor vehicle title section are not required or don’t feel them necessary. Specifically:

• RCW 46.61.687(1)(c): The driver of a vehicle transporting a child who is under 13 years old shall transport the child in back seat positions in a vehicle where it is practical to do so.

“We’ve observed that it’s becoming more common for drivers to allow children 12 years old and younger to ride in the front passenger seat of a vehicle that’s equipped with an installed back seat,” Simpson said. “Instead, the rear seat contains everything else: toys, athletic equipment, groceries and the family dog.

“Along with requirements regarding infant and child safety / booster seats and restraint systems, the issue of child placement inside of a vehicle merits that same attention,” Simpson said.

The sheriff’s office also is providing notice that, with the commencement of the academic school year, traffic safety school zone patrols will be in effect during school hours.

The title and section covering speed enforcement within schools zones, RCW 46.61.440, requires drivers to operate their vehicles at a speed of not more than 20 MPH when passing any marked school (or playground) speed zone that is in active use.

“Traffic safety consists of three main principles: engineering, education and enforcement,” Simpson said. “This is part of the education phase as we try to remind students, parents and drivers that school zone traffic safety is of primary importance.”

Sheriff’s deputies assigned traffic safety duties have, over past years, noted one very apparent aspect about school speed zone enforcement: more often than not, the offending drivers are parents heading to the school to drop-off their children.

The state legislature has enacted a significant monetary penalty for motor vehicle speeding infractions that occur within a marked school zone while the school zone is active. The fine for speeding in a school zone is twice the penalty that would normally be assessed under RCW 46.63.110. This penalty may not be waived, reduced or suspended.

Our children are our most precious assets. Please do your part to insure their safety while they commute to and from school using sidewalks, roadway shoulders and crosswalks:

• Leave a few minutes earlier for your destination.

• Operate your vehicle in accordance with posted speed limits.

• Be extra-vigilant when visibility is reduced.

For more information:

Child passengers: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.61.687

School zone speed limits: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.61.440

Monetary penalties: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.63.110