Harris County law enforcement cracking down on school zone speeders, bus violations
Harris County authorities enforcing school bus safety
If you're not familiar with driving rules regarding when to stop for school buses, it could cost you if you break the rules in Harris County. FOX 26's Sakura Grays shares what you should amid School Bus Safety Week.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - If you’re driving through a school zone in Harris County this week, you’ll want to keep a close eye on your speedometer and watch for flashing lights. Local law enforcement is out in full force, and making a mistake will cost you.
As part of National School Bus Safety Week, law enforcement agencies across Harris County — including the Precinct 4 Constables Office, Precinct 5, and local school district police — are executing zero-tolerance patrols near campuses and along bus routes.
Harris County Precinct 4 Constables Office partnered with the Klein Independent School District Police Department for their School Bus Safety Traffic Initiative. They set up targeted operations in school zones and along bus routes.
The Cost of Passing a Stopped School Bus
One of the primary focuses of this week's blitz is stopping drivers who illegally pass school buses loading or unloading children.
According to the Harris County Justice of the Peace Courts fine schedule, passing a stopped school bus carries a total fine and court cost of $1,085.
Unlike standard traffic citations, drivers who pass a stopped school bus cannot clear the violation from their record. Under Texas law, passing a school bus is explicitly excluded from offenses eligible for dismissal via a Driving Safety Course (DSC).
Do You Know When to Stop?
A major cause of citations during safety enforcement operations is driver confusion over multi-lane roadways and center turn lanes.
"Even if you’re traveling on the opposite side of the roadway, if there’s not a physical barrier in the middle of that roadway, you have to stop as well," warned Captain Jonathan Zitzmann of the Harris County Precinct 4 Constables Office. "So, unless there’s a curb or a physical median — not just a turn lane — you’ve got to stop also."
Texas School Bus Laws Breakdown:
- Two-lane roads: Traffic moving in both directions must come to a complete stop.
- Roads with a center turn lane: A continuous center turn lane does not count as a physical barrier. Traffic in both directions must stop.
- Multi-lane roads without a barrier: Vehicles traveling in both directions must stop.
- Divided highways (with a physical median or concrete wall): Only traffic traveling behind the bus must stop. Opposing traffic on the other side of the physical barrier may proceed with caution.
School Zone Speeding Fines Add Up Fast
Law enforcement is also cracking down on drivers exceeding posted speed limits in active school zones.
In Harris County Justice of the Peace Courts, school zone speeding fines start at $155 for driving 1 to 10 mph over the posted limit. Drivers caught going 20 mph over the limit face fines of $205 or more, with costs escalating rapidly for higher speeds.
Officials advise drivers to budget extra commute time, put away all mobile devices, and remain hyper-vigilant around schools and bus stops.
The Source: Information for this report was gathered from official public records and law enforcement messaging, including the Harris County Justice of the Peace Courts Schedule of Fines and Court Costs and the official guidelines from the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and Texas Transportation Code. Additional context and safety statistics were provided directly by Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman’s Office, and an on-camera interview with Captain Jonathan Zitzmann of the Harris County Precinct 4 Constables Office.