(a) No person shall operate a motor vehicle at a speed greater or less than is reasonable or proper, having due regard to the traffic, surface and width of the street or highway and any other conditions, and no person shall drive any motor vehicle in and upon any street or highway at a greater speed than will permit the person to bring it to a stop within the assured clear distance ahead.
(b) It is prima-facie lawful, in the absence of a lower limit declared or established pursuant to Ohio R.C. 4511.21 by the Ohio Director of Transportation or Council, for the operator of a motor vehicle to operate the same at a speed not exceeding the following:
(1) A. Twenty miles per hour in school zones during school recess and while children are going to or leaving school during the opening or closing hours, and when twenty miles per hour school speed limit signs are erected; except, that on controlled-access highways and expressways, if the right-of-way line fence has been erected without pedestrian opening, the speed shall be governed by subsection (b)(4) hereof and on freeways, if the right-of-way line fence has been erected without pedestrian opening, the speed shall be governed by subsection (b)(7) hereof. The end of every school zone may be marked by a sign indicating the end of the zone. Nothing in this section or in the manual and specifications for a uniform system of traffic control devices shall be construed to require school zones to be indicated by signs equipped with flashing or other lights, or giving other special notice of the hours in which the school zone speed limit is in effect.
B. As used in this section, “school” means all of the following:
1. Any school chartered under Ohio R.C. 3301.16;
2. Any nonchartered school that during the preceding year filed with the Department of Education in compliance with O.A.C. § 3301-35-08, a copy of the school’s report for the parents of the school’s pupils certifying that the school meets state minimum standards for nonchartered, nontax-supported schools and presents evidence of this filing to the jurisdiction from which it is requesting the establishment of a school zone;
3. Any special elementary school that in writing requests the County Engineer to create a school zone at the location of the school. Upon receipt of such written request, the County Engineer shall create a school zone at that location by erecting appropriate signs;
4. Any preschool education program operated by an educational service center that is located on a street or highway with a speed limit of forty-five miles per hour or more, when the educational service center in writing requests that the County Engineer create a school zone at the location of that program. Upon receipt of such a written request, the County Engineer shall create a school zone at that location by erecting the appropriate signs.
C. As used in this section, "school zone" means that portion of a street or highway passing a school fronting upon the street or highway that is encompassed by projecting the school property lines to the fronting street or highway. Upon request from the Municipality for streets and highways under its jurisdiction, the Ohio Director of Transportation may extend the traditional school zone boundaries. The distances in subsections (b)(1)C.1. to 3. hereof shall not exceed 300 feet per approach per direction and are bounded by whichever of the following distances or combinations thereof the Director approves as most appropriate:
1. The distance encompassed by projecting the school building lines normal to the fronting highway and extending a distance of 300 feet on each approach direction;
2. The distance encompassed by projecting the school property lines intersecting the fronting highway and extending a distance of 300 feet on each approach direction;
3. The distance encompassed by the special marking of the pavement for a principal school pupil crosswalk plus a distance of 300 feet on each approach direction of highway;
Nothing in this section shall be construed to invalidate the Director's initial action on August 9, 1976, establishing all school zones at the traditional school zone boundaries defined by projecting school property lines, except when those boundaries are extended as provided in subsections (b)(1)A. and C. hereof.
D. As used in this subsection, "crosswalk" has the meaning given that term in Section 301.09
. The Director may, upon request by resolution of Council, and upon submission by the Municipality of such engineering, traffic and other information as the Director considers necessary, designate a school zone on any portion of a State route lying within the Municipality that includes a crosswalk customarily used by children going to or leaving a school during recess and opening and closing hours, whenever the distance, as measured in a straight line, from the school property line nearest the crosswalk to the nearest point of the crosswalk is no more than 1,320 feet. Such a school zone shall include the distance encompassed by the crosswalk and extending 300 feet on each approach direction of the State route;
(2) Twenty-five miles per hour in all other portions of the Municipality, except on State routes outside business districts, through highways outside business districts and alleys;
(3) Thirty-five miles per hour on all State routes or through highways within the Municipality outside business districts, except as provided in subsections (b)(4) and (5) hereof;
(4) Fifty miles per hour on controlled-access highways and expressways within the Municipality, except as provided in subsections (b)(8) to (b)(12) of this section;
(5) Fifty miles per hour on State routes within the Municipality outside urban districts unless a lower prima-facie speed is established as further provided in this section;
(6) Fifteen miles per hour on all alleys within the Municipality;
(7) Fifty-five miles per hour on freeways with paved shoulders inside the Municipality other than freeways as provided in subsection (b)(10) and (12);
(8) Sixty miles per hour on rural expressways with traffic control signals and on all portions of rural divided highways, except as provided in subsections (b)(9) and (10) of this section;
(9) Sixty-five miles per hour on all rural expressways without traffic control signals;
(10) Seventy miles per hour on all rural freeways;
(11) Fifty-five miles per hour on all portions of freeways or expressways in congested areas as determined by the Director and that are located within a municipal corporation or within an interstate freeway outerbelt, except as provided in subsection (b)(12) of this section;
(12) Sixty-five miles per hour on all portions of freeways or expressways without traffic control signals in urbanized areas.
(c) It is prima-facie unlawful for any person to exceed any of the speed limitations in subsection (b)(1)A. to (b)(6) hereof, or any declared or established pursuant to this section by the Director or local authorities and it is unlawful for any person to exceed any of the speed limitations in subsection (d) hereof. No person shall be convicted of more than one violation of this section for the same conduct, although violations of more than one provision of this section may be charged in the alternative in a single affidavit.
(d) No person shall operate a motor vehicle upon a street or highway as follows:
(1) At a speed exceeding fifty-five miles per hour, except upon a highway, expressway or freeway as provided in subsection (b)(8), (9), (10) and (12) hereof;
(2) At a speed exceeding sixty miles per hour upon a highway as provided in subsection (b)(8) hereof;
(3) At a speed exceeding sixty-five miles per hour upon an expressway as provided in subsection (b)(9) hereof, or upon a freeway as provided in subsection (b)(12) of this section, except upon a freeway as provided in subsection (b)(10) hereof;
(4) At a speed exceeding seventy miles per hour upon a freeway as provided in subsection (b)(10) hereof;
(5) At a speed exceeding the posted speed limit upon a highway, expressway or freeway for which the Director has determined and declared a speed limit pursuant to Ohio R.C. 4511.21(I)(2) or (L)(2).
(e) In every charge of violation of this section the affidavit and warrant shall specify the time, place and speed at which the defendant is alleged to have driven, and in charges made in reliance upon subsection (c) hereof also the speed which subsections (b)(1)A. to (b)(6) hereof, or a limit declared or established pursuant to this section declares is prima-facie lawful at the time and place of such alleged violation, except that in affidavits where a person is alleged to have driven at a greater speed than will permit the person to bring the vehicle to a stop within the assured clear distance ahead the affidavit and warrant need not specify the speed at which the defendant is alleged to have driven.
(f) When a speed in excess of both a prima-facie limitation and a limitation in subsection (d) hereof is alleged, the defendant shall be charged in a single affidavit, alleging a single act, with a violation indicated of both subsections (b)(1)A. to (b)(6) hereof, or of a limit declared or established pursuant to this section by the Director or local authorities, and of the limitation in subsection (d) hereof. If the court finds a violation of subsection (b)(1)A. to (b)(6) hereof, or a limit declared or established pursuant to this section has occurred, it shall enter a judgment of conviction under such subsection and dismiss the charge under subsection (d) hereof. If it finds no violation of subsections (b)(1)A. to (b)(6) hereof or a limit declared or established pursuant to this section, it shall then consider whether the evidence supports a conviction under subsection (d) hereof.
(g) Points shall be assessed for violation of a limitation under subsection (d) hereof in accordance with Ohio R.C. 4510.036.
(h) Whenever, in accordance with Ohio R.C. 4511.21 or this section, the speed limitations as established herein have been altered, either higher or lower, and the appropriate signs giving notice have been erected as required, operators of motor vehicles shall be governed by the speed limitations set forth on such signs. It is prima-facie unlawful for any person to exceed the speed limits posted upon such signs.
(i) As used in this section:
(1) "Interstate system" has the same meaning as in 23 U.S.C.A. 101.
(2) "Commercial bus" means a motor vehicle designed for carrying more than nine passengers and used for the transportation of persons for compensation.
(3) "Noncommercial bus" includes but is not limited to a school bus, or a motor vehicle operated solely for the transportation of persons associated with a charitable or nonprofit organization.
(4) “Outerbelt” means a portion of a freeway that is part of the interstate system and is located in the outer vicinity of a major municipal corporation or group of municipal corporations, as designated by the Director.
(5) “Rural” means an area outside urbanized areas and outside of a business or urban district, and areas that extend within urbanized areas where the roadway characteristics remain mostly unchanged from those outside the urbanized areas.
(6) “Urbanized area” has the same meaning as in 23 U.S.C. 101.
(7) “Divided” means a roadway having two or more travel lanes for vehicles moving in opposite directions and that is separated by a median of more than four feet, excluding turn lanes.
(j) (1) A violation of any provision of this section is one of the following:
A. Except as otherwise provided in subsections (j)(1)B., (1)C., (2) and (3) of this section, a minor misdemeanor;
B. If, within one year of the offense, the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to two violations of any provision of this section or of any provision of Ohio R.C. 4511.21 or a municipal ordinance that is substantially similar to any provision of this section, a misdemeanor of the fourth degree;
C. If, within one year of the offense, the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to three or more violations of any provision of this section or of any provision of Ohio R.C. 4511.21 or a municipal ordinance that is substantially similar to any provision of this section, a misdemeanor of the third degree.
(2) If the offender operated a motor vehicle faster than thirty-five miles an hour in a business district of a municipal corporation, faster than fifty miles an hour in other portions of a municipal corporation, or faster than thirty-five miles an hour in a school zone during recess or while children are going to or leaving school during the school’s opening or closing hours, a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. This subsection does not apply if penalties may be imposed under subsections (j)(1)B. or (j)(1)C. of this section.
(3) Notwithstanding subsection (j)(1) of this section, if the offender operated a motor vehicle in a construction zone where a sign was then posted in accordance with Ohio R.C. 4511.98, the court, in addition to all other penalties provided by law, shall impose upon the offender a fine of two times the usual amount imposed for the violation. No court shall impose a fine of two times the usual amount imposed for the violation upon an offender if the offender alleges, in an affidavit filed with the court prior to the offender’s sentencing, that the offender is indigent and is unable to pay the fine imposed pursuant to this subsection and if the court determines that the offender is an indigent person and unable to pay the fine.
(4) If the offender commits the offense while distracted and the distracting activity is a contributing factor to the commission of the offense, the offender is subject to the additional fine established under Section 303.991 of the Traffic Code.
(ORC 4511.21)