REGINA, Sask. – Kids in Saskatchewan start to go back to school on Wednesday, and Saskatchewan RCMP have some advice to drivers and families on how to stay safe during this busy time and throughout the year.
Inspector Lee Knelsen, operations officer for Saskatchewan RCMP traffic services, has some key messages for drivers and parents on some of the do's and don'ts when it comes to driving through school zones as classes start up again.
Here are some points for drivers going through school zones:
1. Slow down in school zones
Knelsen urges drivers to “reduce that speed” in school zones. In fact, slowing down is the key point he emphasizes over and over again when in a school zone during the school year. He particularly points to reduced speed limits during the school day.
“The posted speed limit is 30 km an hour in those school zones across Saskatchewan and those posted speed limits are actually from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day all year long,” said Knelsen.
2. Stop for school buses.
Knelsen said school buses will “have those red lights on and the stop arm extended, and we need the motorists the individuals that are driving through those school zones — those ones that observe that — to stop for those school buses and give that room you have to give at least five meters on the in regards to that bus to ensure you give that safety pocket there for the for the children.”
3. Obey crossing guards
Knelsen said crossing guards are “typically wearing that high visibility vest and those bright colors and they typically have that that stop paddle that they're carrying with them. We need to make sure that we're looking out for them. They may pop out and, again, we've got lots of traffic in those school zones so please be aware, please slow down.
4. Watch for pedestrians.
Within those school zones, “we've got pedestrians, children and cyclists, so they're all utilizing those zones, those crosswalks. So we're not just looking out for one, we're looking out for all of them, please be cognizant of that.
5. Avoid U-turns in school zones.
“It's actually illegal to conduct a U-turn in a school zone,” Knelsen said. “And again children and individuals within those school zones have got other things on their mind. We need to be cognizant that we're not putting a moving turning vehicle in that area as well, which is going to create a bunch of confusion, and again it's going to be unsafe not to mention illegal.”
When it comes to parents taking their kids to school there are a number of points to consider:
1. Stop in designated areas.
School zones have designated areas for stopping. Knelsen said drivers “can't stop in the middle of the roadway and block the intersection or block the free-flowing lane, so be cognizant of that.”
2. Do not double park in those driving lanes.
Again, “we need to make sure that that free-flowing lane is moving and not stopped.”
3. Park away from congested areas.
Those school zones can be very congested buses with vehicles and people, and Knelsen suggests to “maybe park or drop your children off a little ways away from the school” and let them walk to school.
“It gives them a little bit of a safety area there as well as that we're not having to add to that congestion.”
4. When dropping off, drop them off next to the sidewalk immediately so that they don’t have to walk across the street.
5. Try and stop your vehicle engine.
Knelsen said the engine “creates that smoke and fumes that can distract or at least create a bit of an issue there in regards to seeing individuals or objects within that school zone.” By shutting off your engine, there will be less distraction and you can see what is going on in the school zone.
6. Teach your children a few safety rules.
“Be open about your expectations and what what is expected when they're going to school, and coming from school — make sure that they understand what the rules are out there so that they're fully aware.”
As for law enforcement activity, Knelsen said that will be stepped up activity from RCMP Traffic Services as kids go back to school.
“You will see an increased visibility and presence within those school zones,” Knelsen said. “Obviously there's many of them throughout the province but you can expect to see the RCMP out there in those school zones, making sure that again that we're out there and supporting that safe environment.“
As for the return of kids to school, Knelsen said kids, parents and drivers all “need to get in that mindset that we need to bring our A-game to those school zones.” He also emphasized slowing down, as children have “got many other things that are on their minds and may not be completely paying attention to what's going on.”
As for the main issues seen in school zones, Knelsen point to statistics from last year showing Saskatchewan RCMP officers and Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan officers had issued 1,200 tickets and warnings in school zones and around school buses. That includes 849 tickets and warnings issued for exceeding the speed limit in a school zone.
“That's astronomical,” said Knelsen of that latter number. He called it concerning and worries that people will regard speeding as something that’s allowed to go on.
“So we need to be aware of that, and again the message is slow down, slow down, slow down in those school zones.”
Another issue is collisions. Knelsen pointed to numbers that showed that since 2022, Saskatchewan RCMP have responded to 27 collisions that involved a vehicle and a pedestrian or cyclist under 16 years old. Just in school zones within that same time frame, they responded to 11 collisions that involved a vehicle and a pedestrian under 16 years old.
“So very concerning numbers in regards to situations in those school zones, but again with a proper safety message and people being aware of what the expectations are out there, I feel that this is an important time to get that out there again,” said Knelsen. “The big thing is slow down, slow down, slow down.”
Knelsen said by slowing down, “this gives you time to react to the many things that are happening quickly in those school zones. And again, we all play a role in keeping those roads safe and those pedestrians safe as well we just want to make sure that our children have a great school year and that everybody is safe within those school zones.”
