Speeders beware, school zones are back in effect and that doesn’t just mean be on the lookout for hidden RCMP cars and speed traps.
While ticketing is a part of speeding prevention, Cochrane RCMP is asking the public to be vigilant and stay mindful of the little ones who might be too excited to think before crossing busy roads.
“School is back in so we will be active in those areas. Our goal isn’t as much about enforcement as it is maintaining safety for the community and the kids going back to school,” said Const. Ryan Bent.
Just because they will be focused on safety doesn’t mean that they won’t use every tool in their belt to nab dangerous drivers.
Be it speeding or driving distracted through school zones, all it takes is one mistake and it could be a child’s life on the line.
“If or when a child could run into the street is very unpredictable and although you might not feel like you’re driving much faster, at 50 km versus 30 km, you are covering a lot more ground per second and that could be the difference between life and death for someone.
“We don’t want to have to give out tickets, that isn’t the goal, but we will if we have to,” Bent said.
Vehicular accidents versus pedestrians don’t usually turn out well when they involve an adult, but if you factor in the small frame of a child, your decisions on the road this school year could mean the difference between everyone getting home safe and someone not coming home at all.
That means watching out for school buses, being aware of cross-walks, leaving extra space between yourself and the vehicle in front of you and remember to never pass anyone at a cross-walk because there could be someone crossing, and it’s also illegal.
“You’ll be seeing the big yellow school buses again and we would like to remind the community that it is the law to stop for school buses on both sides of the road,” no exceptions said Bent.
“Safety is high on our mandate right now and come school time, throughout the year, you’ll be seeing us around,” he said.
Be aware of the hours the school zone in your area is in effect as they differ for each community.
Stay safe this school year and every year.
