(File Photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Safety First

New school year brings reminder to slow down, drive safe in school zones

Sep 4, 2023 | 2:14 PM

With the start of a new school year fast approaching, residents across Saskatchewan are reminded to remain vigilant when driving through school zones this fall.

Tyler McMurchy, the manager of media relations with SGI, said with the general hubbub that always accompanies a new school year, it’s important to be focused and aware when passing through those often densely populated areas.

“It’s an exciting time of year for kids as the school year starts and we’re going to see those school zones be very busy, very active places,” McMurchy said.

“We want drivers to keep that in mind as they drive through the school zones on their morning commute – whether they’re dropping somebody off or just passing through – it’s important to obey those school zone speed limits and pay attention to what the speed limit is and the hours of enforcement so they can avoid one of those expensive speeding tickets and above all else, keep kids safe.”

As an example, in the Battlefords and the majority of the surrounding communities, the school zone speed limit is 30 km/hr, which means just failing to adjust speeds from the standard 50km/hr could land a hefty fine of $310 and three demerit points. This does vary slightly around the province

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While slowing down is one key component to safe school zone driving, McMurchy said another is avoiding distractions as much as possible when behind the wheel.

“Distracted driving continues to be the leading cause of collisions overall on Saskatchewan roads, and those collisions in many cases injure people and on occasion also cause fatalities,” he said.

“It’s very important to remain focused on the road at all times, especially in a school zone where you might encounter excited kids who may not be crossing where they’re supposed to. You may see kids darting out from between parked cars or unloading off a school bus, so it’s very important for drivers to remain focused on the road in addition to reducing their speed.”

For first-time distracted drivers, the ticket is $580 and four demerit points, with those costs in penalties increasing with repeat offenses.