What do, &quot;X speed limit while children are present&quot;, street signs mean, specifically?
<p>while I'm driving near schools I often notice street signs that say something like, "speed limit 15 mph while children are present". I am curious what this means specifically. Does it still count if any child is in school? What if they're outside, but in a fenced area? Is there some specific distance from the road that drivers need to be aware of? </p>

<p>What is the specific meaning of these types of signs?</p>

<p>Legally speaking, it's hard to say, because it depends on the laws in the particular jurisdiction. There is a wide variation in how these warnings are phrased, and how they relate to local law, for example it may be limited to "when flashing" (which seems to be the pattern in Washington, but that's more a matter of practice than <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.61.440" rel="nofollow noreferrer">state requirement</a>). <a href="https://www.cityoffederalway.com/sites/default/files/Documents/Department/PW/Traffic/FW%20School%20Zone%20Safety%20Brochure.PDF" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Federal Way WA can indicate school speed limits</a> "when flashing" or "when children present", in case </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>1.) School  Children  are  occupying  or walking within the marked crosswalk. </p>
  
  <p>2.) School  children  are  waiting  at  the curb  or  on  the  shoulder  of  the roadway  and  are  about  to  cross  the roadway  by
  way  of  the  marked crosswalk. </p>
  
  <p>3.) School   children   are   present   or walking along the roadway, either on the  adjacent  sidewalk  or,  in  the absence   of sidewalks,   on   the shoulder  within  the  posted  school speed
  limit zone.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>It appears that "when present" is a theoretical option in that town, and instead they rely on flashing lights and photo-enforcement. This definition follows from a <a href="https://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=468-95-335" rel="nofollow noreferrer">state administrative rule 468-95-335</a> that defines "when children present" this way, and the state no longer uses the "children present" standard. In another state / town, the law could be different.</p>

united-states traffic driving school