TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — School is back in full swing, and for deputies in Pima County, that means extra patrols in school zones — and a renewed focus on keeping kids safe.
At Legacy Traditional School in northwest Tucson, traffic is back — and so is the speeding. Within just 30 minutes of standing outside the school, deputies pull over at least ten drivers for violations in the school zone.
“The biggest violation is the school zone,” said Deputy Felix with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. “It is 15 miles an hour once you cross the threshold of the signs that are put up. A lot of people like to go 20–25—those are the common stops we made [Thursday] morning.”
Deputies say enforcement is strict for a reason.
“For school zones, we have a very low tolerance when it comes to giving warnings or breaks,” Felix said. “Nine times out of ten, if we pull someone over — especially in a school zone — they are getting a citation.”
Though no parents were available for on-camera interviews, several told KGUN 9 they feel safer seeing deputies present, especially in a high-traffic area with so many children walking to school.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says over 1,000 people died in school-transportation-related crashes between 2013 and 2022, including nearly 200 children. Of those children killed, 40% were in other vehicles, 38% were pedestrians, and 3% were bicyclists.
The data is a sobering reminder of how much can go wrong in an instant.
“Looking on your phone, distracted driving — that could lead to some very serious incidents and accidents,” said Felix. “And it could really change your life or someone else’s.”
As the school year continues, deputies are urging drivers to slow down, stay alert and treat school zones like the high-stakes environments they are.
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Kenny Darr is a reporter for KGUN 9. He joined the team in January 2023. Before arriving in Arizona he was an Anchor and Reporter at KADN in Lafayette, LA. Share your story ideas with Kenny by emailing kenny.darr@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
