More than 9,500 teens have died from speeding-related accidents, according to a study from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. And similar harm could come to someone you know. After the final bell rings, students have been seen speeding through campus, leading to concerns from the school and surrounding communities.

Many neighborhood residents have complained, and in order to discourage careless driving in and around schools, the state government has enacted fines for students caught speeding.

These fines are much more costly than speeding on public roads, according to School Resource officer Valerie Butler.

“After we first started hearing complaints, I took care of the individuals I caught but there’s only one of me, so then we brought the issue to the whole school which fixed the problem. I hope that students realize the consequences of speeding before it’s too late”.

Through multiple notifications about speeding, some students have begun to change their driving habits.

“I used to speed to and from school just because I didn’t really see the issue as long as the traffic wasn’t too heavy, usually on the less populated streets,” junior Jacob Klenotich said. “But after hearing about Officer Butler cracking down on kids who sped, I made sure not to do it when leaving school. My mom even told me to watch my speed since the fines are very expensive.”

A local resident who refused to give her name for this story expressed concern about students speeding on Charles street where she lives.

“From time to time I would see kids zooming across the street wondering why they were in such a hurry. Someone could get hurt. [But] as of last month, I haven’t seen nearly as many cars speeding on the street.”

Guidance Clerk Brennda Kloeppel said she remains concerned about drivers who exceed the speed limit.

“As a parent of a student who drives to and from school, I would hate to see my child get into trouble from someone not being careful,” Kloeppel said. “If I do catch students speeding, a simple warning is enough to set them straight.”