Safety First: HPD’s guidelines for drivers and students

Published on July 26, 2024

A new school year begins next month and the Huntsville Police Department (HPD)  is reminding drivers about its zero-tolerance policy for speeding in a school zone.

HPD patrol officers and safety patrol aides will patrol school zones throughout the school year to ensure drivers are obeying speed limits. Officers will strictly enforce school zone speed limits and other safety concerns to ensure students’ safety.

Drivers should approach all intersections and crosswalks with caution as some students bike or walk to school. The department urges parents and guardians to remind students to stay on sidewalks and only cross at designated crosswalks.

Drivers are required to stop for school buses when stop signs are extended in both directions of travel. This law applies to public roadways, private streets, school campuses and parking lots. Penalties for violating the law can include a fine, suspension of a driver’s license and community service.

If commuters must travel through a school zone, HPD recommends finding alternate routes to avoid school zone congestion.

Drivers who commute to Redstone Arsenal via Interstate 565 eastbound to Bob Wallace Avenue should take an alternate route to avoid Morris Elementary traffic. Exit 17A to Jordan Lane is an alternate route with no school zones.

As a reminder, an amended ordinance  prohibits the use of handheld devices while operating a motor vehicle. The ordinance upgrades violations from a secondary to a primary offense, allowing officers to stop a driver when they see a violation and issue a citation.

If you have a concern about a driver’s behavior, contact Huntsville Police at 256-722-7100. A police dispatcher will ask for the driver’s information, including location, vehicle description and direction of travel.

The Huntsville Police Department would like to wish students, teachers, parents and guardians a safe and happy school year.