Slow, Speed Racer, Slow

The school zone speed limit is 15 mph. It seems slower than the car is able to drive. Yet there is good reason for such a slow speed limit. Some children are walking to school. If for any reason you had to stop immediately to avoid hitting a child with your car, and you are only driving 15 mph, you can stop. If you are not obeying the school speed limit, you will probably hit and possibly kill that child. You won't be able to stop in time.

There has often been police sitting by the road with radar guns checking people's speeds as they drive through this school zone. It is on a hill. If the police are by the school entrance, you can't see them as you pass the flashing lights and 15 mph sign into the school zone. Likewise, when they sit by the flashing light, you cannot see them when you exit the school driveway.

I drive my child to school everyday. I have a very recognizable car. I don't want a ticket and I don't want to be responsible for hitting a child with my car (however improbable as that seems. They are middle schoolers and they should know better than to dart out into the road). It really bugs me when I'm making such a concerted effort to obey the traffic laws and drive this almost impossible 15 mph to have another mother, in a car behind me (on her cell phone), merge into the left turn lane (where I also need to go, but am waiting until I get up to the dotted line where you are supposed to merge into the turning lane) early, then speed up, as if being in the turning lane negates the speed limit. Really?! Ugh!

My daughter watches how I drive. She asks me questions. She is very excited about being almost old enough to take her driver's permit test. Seems like since my oldest child started getting interested in driving, until now, there has been someone watching me (mom) drive. Either because they want to take the test and they are trying to watch and learn, or because they took the test and they are trying to watch and make sure I do it right (because now they know everything). I can't speed down the road every day, hand the keys to my child, tell them not to speed, and expect them to do what I say. Children don't do what you say, they do what they see you do.