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Show Motorists may face $ 1,000 fine in school zone By KRIS JOHNSON Staff Writer SALT LAKE CITY Utah motorists would face a fine of up to $1,000 for speeding in a school zone under legislation introduced last week by state Rep. Michael G. Waddoups, R-Salt Lake City. The proposed law was designed to "save lives, and to stop the slaughter of children," said Waddoups, Wad-doups, citing the heartbreak of families in his home district whose children have been involved in fatal traffic accidents. Waddoups, who represents District 47, said that the bill is three pronged. The first prong of the bill includes establishing minimum fines for various speeds over the 20 throughout the state seem to think the bill is a good idea. You talk to those people in those areas where children were killed and it comes home strongly to them," he said. One of the kids killed in a school zone went to Valley View Elementary, Elemen-tary, and nothing will replace that little girl who was hit, said PTA President Barbara Smith. ' 'The little girl who was killed by Valley View wasn't a speeding situation; it was the result of poor markings," she said. "If this bill is passed, it will make the fine steeper and . raise money ' to make all crossroads uniform.'1' i A flashing light was installed shortly after the girl's death, but it took the death of a child to get that technical change made. "I think the concept of this bill speaks for itself. If we can save even one life, than it is worth it. One of those kids could be a councilman's child. I strongly urge them to help protect our children, " said Waddoups. mph school zone speed. Anything from 21 to 29 mph is a minimum $50 fine; from 30 to 39 mph is a minimum $500 fine; and 40 mph or more is a minimum $1,000 fine. The second prong states that the revenue from the fines will be directed toward making school zones and cross walks uniform throughout the state of Utah, so that drivers know "without a doubt that they are in a school zone. This includes putting flashing lights in school zones, repainting the streets and giving cross guards additional training. : ,vf ' ri L The third prong" ties into the' second, se-cond, which includes "mandating" all of the technical changes so that they are made by July 1992. Waddoups said the state of Arizona passed a similar law 35 years ago, which severely fines anyone speeding in a school zone. There hasn't been a single school zone fatality in Arizona since the bill was passed 35 years ago, he said. Waddoups said that if the bill passes it will go into effect in July of this year. He and his colleagues' goals are to allocate the fine money to each district so that they can make their technical changes by the 1992 mandate, and save citizens money on taxes so won't have to pay for the technical changes out of their own pockets. However, some of the local legislators think that it's inevitable that taxes will be raised to make the installments. "The cities are afraid of getting taxed. They're more worried wor-ried about money than they are about the kids," said Waddoups. "Parents and PTA members |