It was extremely dangerous to begin with.

When the Georgia Department of Transportation raised the speed limit on Highway 84 between Bainbridge and Thomasville to 65, and subsequently moved the speed limit of the school zone from 45 to 55 in front of Bainbridge High School, it spelled disaster.

At most schools in the U.S., a student’s education is a major concern. But we at The Post-Searchlight would argue the biggest concern is a student’s safety.

School should be a place where a student is comfortable and cared for by teachers, other students and faculty. It’s a place to excel in academics. It’s a place to learn how to work as a team through organized sports. It’s a place to push your mind and body to its limits.

It is not a place where the danger of being involved in a car accident could happen the moment you leave the premises because of such a high speed limit.

Yes, a car accident could happen anywhere, anytime, regardless of the location or speed limit. But it is exponentially higher when a school is located on a highway like Bainbridge High School.

With the recent speed limit drop from 55 to 45 in the school zone, we are stepping in the right direction. Yet there is still a problem with the massive 20 miles per hour drop from 65 to 45 as soon as a vehicle crosses into the school zone. Though it is not ideal, we hope this will help secure a little more safety as thousands of students come and go from BHS daily.