Drivers who ignore a warning about speeding in school zones when classes resume face a potentially expensive encounter with police.

With students about to return to classes after Labour Day, Langley RCMP Traffic Section Sgt. Matthew LaBelle issued what he called a 鈥渇riendly reminder鈥� about respecting the speed limits around schools.

鈥淪adly, we have to do that, remind people,鈥� Labelle told the Langley Advance Times.

Penalties start at $196 speeding tickets, rise to $368 tickets and up for excessive speeding, and, potentially, the seizure of the offending driver鈥檚 car or truck.

鈥淪omeone invariably gets their vehicle impounded,鈥� LaBelle observed.

鈥淭he speed limit is not just there to jam up drivers,鈥� he added

鈥淭here鈥檚 science behind it.鈥�

An average car traveling 60 km/h will need 55 metres to stop, while a car doing 30 will stop in 18 metres.

鈥淭hat difference could save a life.鈥�

Pedestrians are also far more likely to survive a low-speed collision.

LaBelle said officers will be looking for speeders in school zones throughout September.

A reminder is required in part because the speed limits do not apply when school is out.

In Alberta, the City of Calgary , effectively making the speed limits apply all the time, even when schools were closed.

After school zones were amalgamated with playground zones in 2016, all zones have a 30 km/h speed limit that applies from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.

LaBelle who was working in the Red Deer RCMP detachment when the Calgary changes were made, said they appeared to be effective.

鈥淔rom what I understand, it made a difference,鈥� LaBelle responded when asked about the Alberta experiment.

A follow-up City of Calgary study showed collisions involving pedestrians fell 33 per cent following the change to a single, year-round speed zone and the overall collision rate dropped roughly three-quarters.

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A survey by BCAA shows parents can be the worst offenders in school zones, with 80 per cent of parents reporting they had witnessed speeding, 73 per cent seeing drivers failing to stop in crosswalks, and 56 per cent observing at least one near-miss involving a child and a car.

Shawn Pettipas, BCAA鈥檚 Director of Community Engagement, called the results 鈥渄iscouraging.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing the same driving problems every year 鈥� parents are rushing and it鈥檚 putting kids in danger,鈥� Pettipas said.

鈥淲e鈥檙e asking parents to think about the impact of their behaviour on others. We really hope the message is heard this year.鈥�

鈥�

has a number of tips for parents.

1 Build in time to prevent rushing. We understand the pressure parents can feel when it comes to dropping off and picking up their children. Anticipate school zone congestion and give yourself extra time to get through it safely.

2 Expect the unexpected. Look out for safety risks such as kids darting from cars, along with kids who are cycling and other pedestrians.

3 Follow school zone rules. Respect your school鈥檚 drop off and pick up procedures, along with traffic rules such as driving within the speed limit, stopping at marked cross walks and not driving distracted.

4 Reduce congestion. Consider walking, cycling with your child or parking a few blocks away and walking your child the rest of the way to school.

5 Focus on what you can control. No matter what鈥檚 going on around you, be patient and courteous. Reacting with extreme frustration may aggravate the situation and increase the risk of unsafe behaviours.

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Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com

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