School zone speed limits back in effect
Posted September 21, 2014 10:40 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – With classes back in session on Monday, there is going to be a big change when you drive through a school zone. Starting tomorrow, officers from Vancouver to Surrey to Abbotsford will be enforcing the usual 30 km/h speed limit which is in effect Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. That speed limit is also in effect in playground zones from dawn to dusk.
Jill Blacklock with ICBC says people have likely become complacent given the longer than usual summer break. She adds now is also a good time to remind drivers that days are getting shorter.
“Across the board at this time of year we’re often reminding people there are more pedestrians who are out on the roads, so that’s school-aged kids as well as the typical pedestrian. I would like to say that everyone is planning ahead and knows the law and the speed zones come down but there are people who don’t pay attention to it.”
Typically, every year between October and December there is an uptick in the number of pedestrian-related crashes. “If you’re a pedestrian make sure you’re doing your part too to make sure you’re visible out there, and for drivers that you’re looking for pedestrians and making sure you’re yielding to them and giving them the right of way,” she adds.
Blacklock says car crashes are still the number one preventable cause of death for children and young people. Statistics from the crown corporation show every year in BC, five pedestrians between the ages of 5 to 18 are killed, while 290 others are injured.
Tickets start at $196 but increase with greater speeds.
