Martin County announces stepped-up school-zone enforcement, Waze alerts tied to flashers

Martin County Public Works announced stepped-up school-zone speed enforcement and a partnership to deliver real-time Waze alerts to drivers when school-zone flashers are active as students return to school.

The county emphasized penalties under Florida's new "super speeder" law and urged drivers to slow down near schools. "If you speed through a school zone, you're risking more than just a ticket. Under Florida's new super speeder law, if you drive 50 miles per hour over the limit or a 100 miles per hour or more anywhere, it's a crime. You could face jail time and a $500 fine for your first offense. Do it again, it's 90 days in jail and a thousand dollar fine, and you could lose your license," a staff member said.

Martin County Public Works said its traffic team will trigger in-vehicle alerts through the Waze app, which also routes alerts to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto when county staff activate school-zone flashers. "Martin County Public Works is teaming up with the sheriff's office to share what you need to know as students head back to school," another staff member said.

County officials framed the measure as a safety step rather than a technical change to driving rules: the Waze alerts are tied to the county's activation of existing school-zone flashers and are intended to give drivers an additional, real-time reminder to reduce speed.

Officials closed with a public reminder: "Be aware and help keep our children safe," and urged residents to drive cautiously during school hours.

The announcement did not specify enforcement staffing levels, exact dates for when the Waze alerts will begin, or a statutory citation for the "super speeder" law beyond the descriptive penalties stated on the record.