The ringing of school bells tells us kids are back in class.

It also should tell drivers to slow down.

The first day of school in the Lake Washington School District (LWSD) is Tuesday, Sept. 6 and Redmond Police will be doing extra enforcement in and around school zones to make sure children and citizens get off to a safe start this academic year.

Officers will use speed trailers and enforce regulations pertaining to speed, crosswalks and parking.

In addition, the traffic-enforcement cameras on Northeast 116th Street in front of Einstein Elementary School will be re-activated. Whether you agree with the cameras or not, you will be caught if you go over the 20 mph speed limit — and a caught-on-camera ticket will cost you $124. Cameras are live only when the yellow beacons are flashing during school days, generally from 8:35 to 8:55 a.m., 3:25 to 3:40 p.m. and Wednesday afternoon from 1:55 to 2:15 p.m.

School zones – with a 20 m.p.h. speed limit – are there for a reason. They save lives.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 20 m.p.h. is nearly two-thirds less likely to be killed compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 30 m.p.h. The minimum fine for speed violations in a school zone is $189, depending on speed.

AAA and the Redmond Police Department (RPD) have some other good advice. Research shows that taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles your chances of crashing. Avoid using cell phones, iPods and other activities that cause inattentive driving. Don’t rush into and out of driveways. Expect pedestrians on the sidewalk, especially around schools and in neighborhoods.

Stop at stop signs. It seems self-evident, but research shows that more than one-third of drivers roll through stop signs in school zones and neighborhoods.

Watch for bikes. Children on bicycles are often unpredictable so expect the unexpected.

It may be tempting to drive around a stopped school bus, but not only is it dangerous, it’s against the law. In Washington, school districts can now install and operate automated school bus safety cameras to detect traffic violations involving overtaking or meeting a school bus. LWSD does not use the cameras “because of the expense, but we do report violations to the police,” according to district director of communications Kathryn Reith.

If you can’t or won’t meet these minimum safety rules, at least do kids one favor: drive a route that doesn’t take you past a school.