KENNEWICK, Wash. – As students return to school in the Tri-Cities this week, the enforcement of “school zone” rules is back in full swing.

Kennewick Traffic Officer Sebastian Castilleja confirmed that school zones will have increased patrols in the upcoming weeks.

He emphasized the importance of adhering to the 20 mph speed limit. “The 20 mile an hour school zone speed limit exists for a reason,” Castilleja said. “There’s been a lot of data and a lot of studies that have been done around this. And 20 miles an hour was selected because typically a pedestrian collision, with a vehicle, the injuries to the pedestrian are survivable and not as bad as even if the car was going 25 miles an hour or 30 miles an hour.”

According to state law, speeding in a school zone can result in fines as much

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