School has started for many students in Prince George, and Corporal Jennifer Cooper with the RCMP wants drivers to be aware of kids heading back to class.
School zones are in effect every school day from 8 AM to 5 PM and the speed limit is 30 km/hr.
“We should go in with the thought that kids are not watching for cars and it’s drivers that need to start watching for kids. So put down the phone, put down your coffee, make sure you’re paying attention when you’re in the school zone, when you’re approaching a school zone, and when you’re leaving them,” said Cooper.
Cooper adds that not only should drivers be looking for kids, but they need to be paying attention to buses as well.
“Particularly paying attention to when a bus is pulled over to the side of the road and has its flashing lights on and its stop sign out. That means traffic in both directions of travel needs to stop until the bus driver has turned off the flashing lights because that’s a common complaint we also get from bus drivers in Prince George.”
She adds police will be monitoring school zones closely to help remind drivers to slow down and pay attention.
Failure to slow down or stop when required can result in a number of tickets:
- Speed in a school zone or playground zone $196 to $253
- Fail to stop for school bus $368
- Fail to yield to pedestrian $167
- Disobey school guard/patrol $167
The Prince George RCMP, in partnership with School District 57, ICBC, and the Citizens on Patrol volunteers will be at Pineview Elementary School (8515 Old Cariboo Hwy) tomorrow (Wednesday) at 8:15 AM to enforce school zone speed limits and watch for distracted drivers.
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