September 18, 2019 @ 11:34 AM

Question:

School zones……

Answer:

Not so much of a question this month, more of a REMINDER and a very important one!!

As I have been out with students during the first couple of weeks of September, I have noticed that a lot of drivers are NOT slowing down to the LEGAL SPEED LIMIT in school zones.

School zones with a 30 km/h speed limit posted under the school zone sign means you must slow to 30 km/h or slower BEFORE you reach the school zone sign.  Most people start slowing down AT the sign when you need to be at 30 km/h BY the sign.  Also be sure that you do not speed up until you are out of the school zone, which is when you reach the school zone sign on the opposite side of the road. 

Some school zones are now including a radar-enabled speed indicator sign, which will show you the speed at which you are travelling in or just prior to a school zone.  This is a good double check for you as you drive through the school zone to make sure you are keeping your speed BELOW the posted maximum. 

Some school zones have no posted speed limit under the school zone sign, but this does not mean that you should not slow down and use extra caution.  If there are children entering or exiting the school grounds, you should reduce your speed to where you can safely stop in the event you need to react quickly to a child darting out into the roadway.  If there is no obvious activity around the school, you should slightly reduce your speed and use extra caution through the school zone as children may be around.

For parents who are dropping their children off at school, here are some things to keep in mind to help keep your kids safe:

  • If you are parked on the side of the road to drop off your children, make sure you SHOULDER CHECK left before opening your door into the roadway.  Drivers proceeding down the road don’t know you want to exit your vehicle and may not be paying attention, so always check before you open your door. 
  • Always have children exit the vehicle on the passenger side so they are exiting on to a safe sidewalk rather than a roadway that may have traffic you didn’t see, or a driver that didn’t see you or your children!
  • Give yourself extra time to drop children off.  We are often running late and that is when we take risks and accidents are more likely to occur.  Why should we take risks with our loved ones, especially children???  So give yourself extra time!!

Whether you are a parent or a motorist on the roadway – PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE ALWAYS drive with caution in school zones.  Saving a few seconds is NOT worth the risk of injuring a child!!!