Are you kidding me??

"When Children are present"

THIS SIGN HAS TO GO!!

Who is this loophole intended for??

When you have a sign that gives the driver an excuse to speed through the school zone because they did an " oops, I didn't see any children" - We have a problem ---

Then some child runs out in front of the car that is hurtling down the road at 35 mph because they " didn't see any children "

An average car is 4000 lbs of metal, plastic, rubber and countless other materials. A chain link fence is NOT going to hold this back from our children when a driver loses control and crashes through the fence. If drivers are forced to do 15 mph during school hours, who is it going to hurt?? Not the children - Although 15 mph is enough to kill a person - slowing down would give the driver more reaction time.

We all know how well children listen - They feel as though they are invincible, which they should feel while protected from harm in school.

But, they are not invincible and a 4000 pound vehicle is not going to lose a battle between flesh and metal.

Was this a cost saving move by the Clark County School District?

Was it a political move to reduce the liability for CCSD in case the lights are not working??

Whichever the reason behind it, this sign sure gives the driver a loophole to speed through the "School Zone"

Passionate about this, yes I am ...personal experience - In 2nd grade my best friend was hit by a car crossing the street to catch the school bus. I now have 3 children and my wife and I are VERY concerned for the safety of the children of Las Vegas!

With all the pedestrian deaths in the valley this year, why would we take chances with our children?

Every school should have a safety zone around it. PERIOD

I don't see any construction signs that say "When workers are present"

I don't see any signs that say "Speed limit enforced only with law enforcement present"

STOP - "Only if another vehicle is present" or "only if you have the time to stop" or "you decide whether to stop or not, we are all responsible adults" - "Go ahead, you are more important than this sign"

WHY?? Because drivers cannot drive responsibly. PERIOD

----------Below is the article published by the Las Vegas Sun on December 21, 2011 - It is a reprint of an article from 2008---------

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Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008 | 6:37 p.m.


The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department unveiled new signs today outside the Las Vegas Junior Academy designed to get motorist to ** pay more attention ** when they're driving through school zones.

They really believe this??

Capt. Richard Collins, the traffic bureau commander for Metro, said officers have been working with city engineers and the school district to get the new “When Children are Present” signs attached to the current speed limit signs.

"There are studies that have been done in several different states that these signs are more effective and safer for the kids," Collins said. “The reason is that when people don’t have a specific time or flashing lights to tell them they have to slow down, they have to use their own powers of observation." - WAIT .... WHAT??

Adding "When Children are Present" to the existing signs forces drivers to take notice and look around for children, he said. The new signs, which are already being used in Florida, Michigan and Washington, do not change the current laws against speeding in school zones. Some schools, depending on traffic of the roadway and the type of school, have 15 to 20 mph speed limits and enforcement is allotted for a half hour before school starts and again a half hour after school ends.

“What I recommend is if they don’t know what time (school) starts, if they see kids on the sidewalks or crossing in the roadways because they’re coming to and from school, they should do whatever the slowest speed sign is,” he said. “And if kids are on a playground or behind a fence, it is not mandatory to slow down to the slowest sign.” --- DID THEY JUST SAY THAT? "Behind a fence" - WOW!! 

The new signs do not cover Saturdays, Sundays or holidays. Penalties for speeding in a school zone are double; according to state law the maximum penalty is $1,000 fine and/or six months in jail. 

----That should stop speeders----

*Authors notes in red*