Mesquite and Lewisville among top 10 cities in Texas for tickets in school zones

by PegNews wire

The average cost of a speeding ticket in a Texas school zone is $209, for drivers topping the speed limit by 10 miles per hour. This is according to Allstate Insurance Company's back to school safety survey of 60 police departments and municipal courts across the Lone Star State.

The Allstate survey found the 10 Texas cities docking disobedient drivers the most are:

On the other end of the spectrum, school zone speeders in Lufkin and Texas City face fines around $125.

Police are looking for more than just speeders in school zones as kids head back to the classroom. Other common infractions include children and adults that aren't buckled in, drivers passing school buses, and drivers disregarding crossing guards or traffic signals.

Police say cell phone use in Texas school zones is increasingly a concern as they watch for dangerous driving distractions. On September 1, a statewide law goes into effect prohibiting drivers from using cell phones without a hands free device if driving in an active Texas school zone.

Allstate's 2009 back to school safety survey was conducted in the following Texas cities and/or surrounding areas: Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont, Brownsville-McAllen, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas-Fort Worth, El Paso, Houston, Laredo, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, San Angelo, San Antonio, Sherman, Texarkana, Tyler-Longview, Victoria, Waco-Temple-Killeen, Wichita Falls.

A total of 60 Texas police departments and/or municipal courts responded to the survey via phone or e-mail between August 3 and August 14.

Source: Allstate