HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — One mother is speaking out about speeding concerns near SLAM! Elementary School in Apollo Beach. She reached out to our Driving Tampa Bay Forward Tip Line, hoping to find some answers.
Natalie Golden drives her 8-year-old daughter to and from school every day. She said she sees speeders zip right by the school.
“It is just mind-boggling. People don’t care about the kids,” Golden said.
She said she is worried about safety as people disregard both school and speed limit signs.
“God forbid something happens because people are zig-zagging in and out of line, trucks coming in there barreling,” Golden said.
We contacted the Florida Department of Transportation about this, and it is not the first time they have had a speeding issue in the area. This is a charter school, so it's not technically in a school zone.
FDOT said they previously installed bright yellow signs to inform people about the school and advise drivers to slow down. Golden said drivers disregard the signs.
“There is a sign that says school ahead, 45 miles per hour, but nobody pays that any attention,” she said.
The signage is already in place, so we asked FDOT what else could be done. Officials said they will work with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office to get more deputies in the area during drop-off and pick-up to deter drivers from speeding.
