PARIS – Hebron Academy officials met with members of the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department recently to inspect a new portable radar speed sign designed to monitor and reduce speeding in school zones and other pedestrian crossings throughout the county.

Purchased with funds made available by the Hebron Academy board of trustees, the new device represents a collaboration between the school and the county to address traffic and pedestrian behaviors on Route 119 and Station Road, which pass through the Hebron campus.

Recognizing the potential for pedestrian injuries in the area, the sheriff’s office has designated Hebron Academy a Strategic Area Focused Enforcement (SAFE) zone, with plans to enhance signage on the approaches to campus and to conduct periodic enforcement.

“We’re very glad of our partnership with the sheriff’s office on this,” said Hebron Head of School John King, “and for the chance to address the safety of students throughout the county.”

Plans also call for a pedestrian safety initiative focusing on enhanced enforcement and education of student pedestrians. “Teaching our students to be respectful of drivers is very much a part of the safety picture,” said Assistant Head Mike Munhall.

On average, more than 350 Hebron students and staff cross Route 119 each day, passing to and from residential, academic and athletic facilities located on either side of the highway.

The new interactive sign includes a radar device that indicates the speed of oncoming traffic in a large digital display beneath the words “your speed,” giving drivers immediate feedback on how fast they are going and reminding them of the posted limit with an equally prominent “speed limit 35” directly below.

Similar signs with a capacity to monitor speed in real time have been shown to have a significant impact on drivers traveling above the speed limit. said Sheriff Wayne Gallant, “I’m in law enforcement, and even I instinctively back off the pedal whenever I see one.”