With the new school year, the latest sneakers, and summer stories, thousands of kids return to the school across the Central Okanagan on Tuesday.

And with that, school zones and their speed limits of 30 km/h are back in effect, something drivers are going to have to get used to again.

鈥淧eople are just driving their regular day so they鈥檙e not quite ready for school yet we鈥檙e out there educating them,鈥� said 琉璃神社 RCMP media relations officer Mike Della-Paolera, who noted the average speed outside Raymer Elementary School on Tuesday morning was 50 km/h, well over the school zone limit.

The last few weeks are the time when parents, children, and the public start preparing for the start of the school year but this year has been a little different because of the Grouse Complex of wildfires.

鈥淧eople are distracted all summer long, they鈥檙e used to driving 50 km/h in our streets but obviously the last three weeks, people in the Central Okanagan have had their minds on other things and this is probably the first normal thing a family鈥檚 had to do in the last couple weeks but they need a little reminder school zones are in effect at 7:30 in the morning,鈥� continued Della-Paolera.

For the next two weeks, the 琉璃神社 RCMP, BC Highway Patrol, and 琉璃神社 Municipal Traffic Services will be patrolling school zones to help enforce the speed limit, which is in place from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on school days.

鈥淲e do not want to write tickets but will be writing warning tickets,鈥� said Della-Paolera. 鈥淚t鈥檚 parents that are late for school because they haven鈥檛 got their timing down yet. It鈥檚 people that are not parents that are just unaware it鈥檚 a school day and they鈥檙e on their regular business.鈥�

In front of Raymer Elementary on Tuesday morning, three people were given warning tickets for speeding. People who get caught speeding in a school zone can be issued a $198 ticket and lose three points on their license. Failing to stop for a school bus signal can also result in a $368 fine.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a fairly expensive ticket to get,鈥� said Della-Paolera.

On top of speeding in school zones, the RCMP is looking for distracted drivers, people who attempt to make u-turns in a school zone and jay-walking. Additionally, one of the most important issues that drivers don鈥檛 realize is that parking across the street from the school isn鈥檛 allowed to keep children safe.

鈥淥ne of our biggest concerns is children darting across the street because they see their parents,鈥� said Della-Paolera. 鈥淚n most school zones, the area across the street from the school is a no-parking zone for that reason alone. Children are 鈥榚yes on the prize鈥�, there鈥檚 mom and dad waiting in the car, they鈥檙e going to dart across the street and nothing good can come of that.鈥�

School zone speeds are also implied in playground zones from dawn until dusk every day. Electronic bikes are also under the motor vehicle act, meaning riders can also receive tickets for going more than 30 km/h in school zones.

鈥淭he safety of our children is the absolute most important thing,鈥� said Della-Paolera.

READ MORE: Back to school: 琉璃神社 RCMP warns drivers to slow down

READ MORE: Planned ignitions scheduled to help contain wildfire in West 琉璃神社

jordy.cunningham@kelownacapnews.com
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