Slow down, pay attention in school zones: SGI

Thousands of kids have returned to class in Saskatchewan, and SGI is once again reminding drivers to slow down and pay attention while passing through school zones.

“It’s really incumbent upon motorists to make sure that they’re driving slow, driving without distraction and are able to react in case the unexpected happens,” said SGI’s Tyler McMurchy.

Last year, there were a little under 25,000 convictions for speeding in a school zone. There were 28 crashes in those zones, but fortunately, McMurchy said none involved pedestrians and nobody was injured.

He’s hoping that injury-free year can be duplicated again this year. However, a friendly reminder never seems to be a bad thing.

“Children don’t always pay attention to what they’re supposed to be doing and may dart out into traffic unexpectedly,” he continued.

McMurchy said drivers need to be on the lookout for school buses that are flashing their lights and watch where they park so as not to create an obstruction.

Aside from the more serious possibility of hurting someone, McMurchy said wallets could also be hurt with hefty fines.
“They’re expensive. The base fine for speeding is double what a regular speeding ticket is.”

The fine for speeding through a school zone starts at $140. There’s also a $50 victim surcharge added onto that, plus the penalty increases for every kilometre per hour over the posted speed a driver goes.

For example, McMurchy said going 10 km/h over would cost someone $210. Going 20 km/h over the limit would cost $230.