Hello, speeding tickets.

Drivers may soon have quite a few more school zones to tangle with, if several new and expanded zones are approved as expected by the Peachtree City Council Thursday night.

City staff is not only proposing the creation of eight new “school zones” on city streets, but also is increasing the length of eight of the 13 existing school zones.

A new zone will show up on busy Peachtree Parkway North near McIntosh High School, where now none exists.

That raises the probability of lots of new speeding tickets through expanded school zones, where radar-wielding officers can ticket you for going one mile per hour over the lowered speed limit.

That means, drive at 25 mph and you’re OK. Drive at 26 mph and you’ll be facing big fines.

Although Georgia law forbids local police officers from writing speeding tickets unless the recorded speed is more than 10 miles an hour over the posted limit, that law is waived for school zones, ranging from one hour before school starts until one hour after school ends.

To alert motorists, orange flags will be installed on each new school zone sign and no significant traffic enforcement is expected for the first 30 days after the new signs are installed, according to a memo from acting police chief Maj. Mike DuPree.

The proposed new school zones, which would reduce speeds from 30 mph to 25 mph are:

• NEW — On Kelly Drive near Huddleston Elementary from the Lake Peachtree bridge to a spot 400 feet east of Sweetgum; this zone is currently bound by a 30 mph limit;

• NEW — On Peachtree Parkway north near McIntosh High from 200 feet north of Walt Banks to 200 feet south of Stevens Entry; this zone is currently 30-35 mph;

• NEW — On Pinegate Road near Peachtree City Elementary from Riley Parkway to 600 feet north of Riley Parkway; this zone is currently rated at 30 mph;

• NEW — On Prime Point near McIntosh High from 50 feet east of Stevens Entry to 50 feet north of Ga. Highway 54; this zone is currently rated at 30 mph

• NEW — On Riley Parkway near Peachtree City Elementary from Flat Creek Road to Aberdeen Parkway; this zone is currently 30 mph;

• NEW — On Stevens Entry near McIntosh High from Ga. Highway 54 to Peachtree Parkway north; this zone is currently 30 mph;

• NEW — On Summit Walk near Oak Grove Elementary from Crown Point to 500 feet north of Crestwood; this zone is currently 30 mph; and

• NEW — On Waterwood Bend near Booth Middle School from 50 feet west of the southern intersection of Peachtree Parkway to 50 feet west of the northern intersection of Peachtree Parkway; this road is also currently 30 mph.

According to the staff memo to City Council on the subject, several of the new school zones wee necessary to cover multi-use path crossings that weren’t previously in a school zone.

Also the city will increase the length of eight existing speed zones as follows:

• Crosstown Drive for Oak Grove Elementary from .3 to .4 miles.

• Kedron Drive for Kedron Elementary from .3 to .4 miles.

• Log House Road for Oak Grove Elementary from .24 miles to .50 miles.

• McIntosh Trail for Huddleston Elementary from .45 to .65 miles.

• Peachtree Parkway south for Booth Middle from .26 to .50 miles.

• Robinson Road for Braelinn and Oak Grove elementary from .4 miles to 1.3 miles.

• Walt Banks Road for McIntosh High from .33 to .50 miles; and

• Wisdom Road for Peachtree City Elementary school from .3 to .4 miles.

According to the staff memo, the reason for increasing the size of existing school zones was to cover at least 200 feet from the boundary of the school or “cover the ‘common route’ to school by students.”

The city will send letters about the new school zones to parents at each school, and the new zones will be posted on the city’s website in addition to schools’ websites, DuPree said in the memo.