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Often, there are limits to speed zones Because there is so much confusion about the speed limit in a school zone, why can�t there be a 20 mph speed limit posted year round? There seems to always be children on the grounds around the school. � Jane W., Medford Your suggestion seems reasonable, Jane. But state transportation officials say it would be difficult to enforce such a rule across the board. In a rural setting, for instance, a 20 mph speed zone may not be a realistic expectation, according to Sandy Nelson, Jackson County�s traffic safety coordinator. It would encourage drivers to ignore the posted speed in school zones and possibly on other roads, she said. Instead, the state relies on a when-children-are-present rule to guide traffic speeds in school zones. The Oregon Legislature revised state statues to define when children are present as "any time and on any day when children are in a place where they are or can reasonably be expected to be visible to a person operating a motor vehicle that is passing a school ground or a school crosswalk." Watch for a soon-to-be-published state publication, "A Guide to School Zone Safety," for a complete look at school zone traffic standards. ("Since You Asked'' is a daily feature in the Mail Tribune that answers questions from readers on virtually any topic of general interest. To submit a question, e-mail us at [email protected] Please include your name, address and phone number for verification. If you have specific questions about our Web site or other questions about the Mail Tribune, please send them to [email protected] ) Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA