It seems summer just started and already it is time for children across the River Parishes to head back to school.

For students, this week means getting back into a routine, catching up with some friends they may not have seen in a couple of months and buckling down for another year of learning.

For motorists, however, it means it is once again time to take heed of those school zone signs. During the affected times, usually from around 7:30 a.m. until around 9 a.m. in the morning and from around 2:30 p.m. until 4 p.m. in the afternoon, speed limits in school zones drop significantly and are strictly enforced. These speed zones even affect major roadways such as Airline Highway and U.S. Highway 51, so drivers need to be alert to the possibility of school zones at all times.

In St. John the Baptist and St. James parishes, Monday marks the first day of school; students in St. Charles Parish return to class Thursday, Aug. 11.

So be on the lookout for those familiar yellow and white signs denoting a school zone, and it might be a good idea to be a little extra cautious wherever you drive as students walking to or from school may be anywhere. Let’s make this year a safe one for students in the River Parishes.