As a large portion of the community settles back into the familiar routine of a new school year, it’s good to refresh one’s memory about safety protocols that are well-known, but perhaps forgotten over the summer.
One such safety precaution to keep in mind is the reduced speed limit in school zones. Chief Ryan Hunt of the Winkler Police Service says that this is an area of concern for officers.
“We try [to] spend a little bit of extra time around the schools in the mornings and at the end of the day — just a little bit more of a presence so that people are more aware that they need to be careful in those areas,” says Chief Hunt, who notes that in Morden and Winkler, there are still quite a few members of the community speeding through school zones.
“We do MPI [Manitoba Public Insurance] campaigns throughout the year, and one of them is to focus on [school safety] and we do catch quite a few people that are speeding through the school zones, so that's unfortunate,” he says. “We're just hoping that people will get the message. Especially now when school is starting, people will be reminded to slow down to 30 when they're going past the school zones.”
The fine for exceeding the speed limit in a school zone can increase quickly.
“Depending on how many kilometres an hour over the speed limit you are, the fine goes up accordingly,” says Chief Hunt. “Plus, sometimes the worst of it is your demerits. [They] can affect the cost of your license and your insurance.”
Motorists are also reminded to respect the student crossing guards.
“We get one or two reports every year [that] a driver [goes] through the intersection when the crossing guards are out,” he says. “We just really want to get the message out there to pay attention to the crossing guards and just be extra careful when you are around those intersections.”
Chief Hunt says that ultimately, the school speed zones are there to protect the children.
The best thing would be [to] never have to fine anybody,” he says. “It's all about safety . . . . The children that are walking to school aren't always watching for cars when they cross the street, so we as adults have to be that much more careful.”
Another area of ensuring children’s safety is paying attention to school buses.
“I always feel like you should just be prepared [for] these lights . . . to come on at any moment,” says Chief Hunt. “Just be prepared to stop. When you see the amber lights come on, that's an indicator that they're going to be stopping shortly. That's just showing you that you need to slow down and be prepared to stop — it's not telling you that you should hurry up and get past the bus.”
Chief Hunt says that under the Highway Traffic Act, motorists must stop at least five metres from the back or the front of the school bus itself (not its stop sign). He says the fine for passing a stopped bus is $672.
Bicycles also require safety measures. The first, as always, is to wear a helmet. Chief Hunt also cautions the community to be vigilant of young cyclists coming from unexpected directions.
“The kids are often using the sidewalks because it's usually safer than riding on the streets,” he says. “Sometimes when you pull up to an intersection, you're only watching for something that is coming up on the road from the left or right, so you have to be mindful that they might be on the sidewalk as well.”
In addition to increased bus and bicycle traffic, Chief Hunt says that vehicle and foot traffic at this time of the year are also more intense, which calls for more alertness from everyone.
“The roadways are busier, sidewalks are busier,” he says. “You have all the teachers and all the school support staff going to and from work, and on top of all that, of course, all the children [are going to and from] school,” he says. “The farmers are [also] busy, so when you're traveling to and from town, and you see a combine or a big tractor on the road, just give them room.”
Accordingly, Chief Hunt encourages motorists to leave a few minutes early for their commute so that they can arrive safely.
“A couple of minutes can make all the difference,” he says.
As the school year carries on, everyone has a share in the responsibility of keeping the community and the students in it safe.
~With files from Ty Hildebrand and Jayme Giesbrecht~