INDIANAPOLIS – There are now hundreds of new flashing yellow lights in school zones across the city. But with new technology comes questions, and we're ready to answer them.
A couple of questions we got from viewers and readers: Are they always correct? Can drivers trust them? And is it possible to get ticketed if they’re not flashing?
Since last December, the Indianapolis Department of Works has installed over 400 of the flashing yellow beacons outside of 150 Marion County schools, serving as a reminder to slow down for students.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) says when it comes to school-zone speeds, officers encourage you to slow down regardless of what time it is. But the school speed zone will be enforced only when the lights are on.
Because schools start and end at different times, the lights are on timers based on each building’s schedule.
So IMPD will turn the lights on and off when they need to enforce the speed limit.
That means when they’re on, even if school doesn’t seem like it’s in session, you’d better slow down and go no faster than 25 MPH.
So say it’s midnight and the beacon is flashing. You must go 25 if you want to 100-percent ensure you won’t be pulled over and ticketed. (That is highly unlikely to happen, but we’re giving you an example.)
The message here: The light is always right.
You can expect the lights to be on just 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon on a normal day, as opposed to having to go slow from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
By the way, 90 percent of the funding for the new signs and beacons came from the Federal Highway Administration's Highway Safety Improvement Program. Ten percent of the funding came from local construction costs.
