3 Back-to-School Citations That Could Cost You Big Time in Boise

Back-to-school season has arrived in the Treasure Valley. Students in Caldwell are back to class on Monday, August 15. Classes resume in Boise on August 17 and Nampa on August 18. You know what that means, right? 

You haven't thought about them for a few months, but now school buses, school zones and kids crossing the street are now part of the daily commute again. With the return of those three things comes the return of some rules of the road that matter the most when school is in session. Failure to follow them isn't cheap!

When the new school year kicks off, it's always a good idea to refresh your memory with the rules you need to follow in school zones and approaching school buses. We know that the first day of school can be chaotic enough as it is, so we put together a quick and easy "cliffnotes" style guide to get you caught up on those laws.

Stop Arm Law

If you come across a bus with its stop sign extended and red lights flashing, you must stop for the bus as it picks up or drops off children. You can move once it's in motion again or it has pulled its stop sign back in. The only exception to this rule is if you are traveling in the opposite direction of the bus on highways with four or more lanes if two lanes are going in each direction. This is a state statute.

Fines for violating the "Stop Arm Law:" $200 for your first offense, $400 for your second offense within 5 years, $600 for a third offense within 5 years

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Speeding in School Zones

Those flashing yellow signs are back in the morning, during the lunch hour and after school in Boise. The school zone speed limit in Boise is 20 MPH. If you're caught pushing it faster than that in the City of Boise, you're going to pay.

Fines for Speeding in School Zones in Boise: $156.50

Yielding to Pedestrians

You really should be yielding to pedestrians year-round, but it's an important reminder come back to school season because you'll have little ones and older teens using the crosswalks near their schools.

Fines for Failing to Yield to Pedestrians: $75