Are school speed zones enforced during summer in South Florida? Depends where you are

Do drivers in South Florida have to pay attention to school zone speed limits during the summer?

It depends on where you’re driving.

Here’s what to know in Broward and Miami-Dade counties as summer school gets started:

Broward County

Days: From June 20 to July 25, the yellow flashing school zone lights will be activated at campuses with summer school programs. Not every school in Broward offers summer school. Of the 330 public schools in the county, 51 will host summer school. Summer school runs from Monday to Thursday, four hours a day.

Hours: The schedules are different for elementary, secondary (middle and high school) and programs for students with disabilities. The elementary day runs from 8 a.m. to noon. and secondary from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The disability programs mostly run from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., but a few have different start and end times such as Atlantic Technical College in Coconut Creek, which runs from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Speed limit and citations: Keep in mind that school zones are active 30 minutes before a school’s start and end times. The speed limit is 15 mph. If you’re fined for speeding in a school zone, it’ll be double that of a regular speeding ticket. Going over 1-9 mph can land you a $50 fine, and 15 to 19 mph over is a $300 fine.

Tip: If you’re approaching a school zone sign without a light, but aren’t sure if you’ll be met with an active flashing light ahead closer to the campus, you may want to slow down until you reach the light.

Miami-Dade County

Flashing light requests by school: School zone lights won’t be flashing during the summer unless a school in the district requests activation from the Department of Transportation and Public Works, which is in charge of maintaining and operating the lights. So far, the department said no schools have made the request.

Summer programs: Miami-Dade began the first school program for the summer on June 12 and the last one will finish on July 25.

Caution: Even though school zones won’t be in effect in Miami-Dade during summer, school officials recommend drivers to be cautious as they pass campuses.