Crime & Safety

Drive Safe in School Zones -- the DuPage County Sheriff is Watching

The DuPage County Sheriff's office is embarking on a month-long enforcement campaign targeting drivers who speed, use a cell phone or commit other traffic violations in school zones.

With students back in school, the DuPage County Sheriff wants to ensure reckless driving in school zones is not tolerated.

That's why sheriff deputies will be stationed in school zones for the next month to "aggressively enforce" speed limits, cell phone use, seat belt use, child safety restraint laws, passing stopped school buses, reckless driving behavior, and other traffic laws.

This enforcement will take place in the morning, at lunch and in the afternoon as students are being picked up.

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“Our back to school safety program isn’t about arresting people and writing tickets,” Sheriff Zaruba said in a press release. “It is about teaching our children how to keep themselves safe while reminding drivers of their responsibility to not only drive safely, but to keep our children and our communities safe.”

The month-long enforcement campaign, called "Zero Tolerance in School Zones" started with signs in residents' yards reminding motorists to "Protect our Children -- SLOW DOWN."

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 “The idea behind this traffic safety campaign is to raise public awareness about the dangers of driving recklessly in school zones and to remind people that school speed zones exist for a reason, to protect our children,” Sheriff John E. Zaruba said in a press release.

Zaruba's annual Safety Saturday Fair will be held Saturday, Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the DuPage County Fairgrounds on Manchester Road in Wheaton.

According to the release, Zaruba organized the event in 1997 in an effort to heighten public awareness about safety and promote positive interaction between emergency services organizations and DuPage County residents. 

Most exhibits are designed to teach families about safety and crime prevention. 

"We want kids to have fun while they are learning about safety,” Zaruba said in the release.

“Safety Saturday is a great way for families to spend time together and interact in a positive way with police officers and emergency personnel."


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