Winkler Police Chief Ryan Hunt is reminding motorists to slow down and be alert as school zones come back into effect come the end of August.
“They would be back in play on September 1st,” Hunt said, “To the end of June.”
For drivers who may have only recently received their licenses during the summer, Hunt elaborates, saying, “School zones have a lower speed limit near them, 30 kilometres an hour.”
He stressed that even drivers unfamiliar with the exact locations of schools need to stay alert. “If you don’t know where school is, you should still be looking for signs and be aware that you might have to slow down, change your speed.”
Stop signs on wheels
Beyond school zones, Hunt pointed to school bus safety as another focus for drivers come the fall. “Those buses are stopping to pick up students,” he said, “When you see those amber lights come on the bus, that’s an indicator that you should be slowing down, not speed up and get past them.”
He noted that the red lights that follow are accompanied by an extended stop sign, signalling for drivers to come to a complete stop as children board or leave the bus.
To help enforce the rules, local school buses are equipped with cameras. “They can record photos of vehicles that do pass them when their stop signs are extended. And they will forward a picture of the vehicle and licence plate to us if that does happen.”
Hunt confirmed that the penalty for illegally passing a stopped school bus is $672.