The sun is setting earlier and the leaves are starting to change, which means autumn and the 2018-19 school year are soon to begin. Next week, yellow school buses will be a common sight and students will fill the classrooms. The Regina Police Service would like to take this opportunity to share with parents, students, teachers, and the general public some safety strategies to keep our school-bound travelers safe.
Whether it be parents walking young children to school, or older children and youth walking or riding bicycles, pedestrian and cyclist traffic will increase before and after school (at least until the first snowfall). Parents are encouraged to teach children and youth to use crosswalks, look both ways before crossing the street, walk with a buddy, and don’t dart out between parked cars. Cyclists should wear a helmet and lock up their bikes when not in use. Both pedestrians and cyclists should be cautious of moving vehicles.
Motorists on their commutes are also affected by the start of the school year. They should be aware of school zones within their travel path, especially new school zones in new school areas. Slow down and know that the speed limit in school zones is 40km/hr from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m every day. Watch for pedestrians at crosswalks and intersections, as well as take extra caution around stopped school buses and playgrounds. To accommodate for an increase of pedestrian, school transportation, and bus traffic, motorists could leave a few minutes earlier to avoid the risk of being late.
Including the motorist safety strategies mentioned above, new drivers must also abide by their licence restrictions which include abstaining from the use of cell phones while driving (hand-held or hands-free), and a restriction on the number of passengers in the vehicle to name a few.
Back to school is an exciting time for students. Keep our children and youth safe by slowing down in school zones. Here’s to a safe 2018-19 school year!