Drivers Need to Get Back In School Zone Mind Set
Prince George, B.C.- Although most drivers are respecting the 30kmh School Zone speed limit, RCMP officers in Prince George are still finding many who have either forgotten, or are ignoring that rule.
During School Zone enforcement last week, many violation tickets were written for those who failed to slow down and there was one incident on the Old Cariboo highway in Pineview that has oficers concerned.
Last Thursday, around 9:00 a.m, just minutes after children had entered Pineview Elementary School to start classes, officers stopped an unloaded tractor trailer that was traveling well in excess of the posted school zone limit.
The truck was traveling at such a high rate of speed, the driver had to lock the wheels and skid for about 30 metres before stopping ( skid mark photo at right, courtesy RCMP). The skid marks are a prime example of how far it takes for a vehicle traveling in excess of the 30 km per hour speed limit, to stop. While officers are confident the driver was driving at an excessive speed, (perhaps as high as 100 km per hour in a 30 zone) the only reason this tractor trailer was not impounded is that the radar laser equipment had been removed moments before he was spotted, so his EXACT speed is not known.
The driver was issued two Motor Vehicle Act violation tickets for Speeding in a School Zone and Failing to Wear a Seatbelt. The total of these two fines was in excess of $350.
"It is a concern that some drivers are not getting the message. In this incident, a professional driver either failed to recognize the school zone or chose to ignore it. Either way, it’s unacceptable"
says Sgt. Al Steinhauser, in charge of the Prince George RCMP’s Municipal Traffic Section. "The safety of our children is a priority for the Prince George RCMP and its officers."
Comments
Then there’s Chief Lake Rd where kids are waiting for the school bus, or walking to where they catch the school bus, while people whiz by them at 20 to 30 k over the limit – because you know kids never do anything stupid like step out into traffic. But don’t need to worry about any traffic enforcement out there. Only time I see the RCMP out there is on a hot Sunday afternoon doing a road block for drinking driving from Ness Lake Park. Other than that, might as well say there is no speed limit. Ironic that you worry about your kids getting hurt or bullied at school, and it’s more likely your neighbor will nail them on the way to Tim Hortons – all to shave maybe three minutes off their trip. Just a thought, but if you moved to the country, you must have had some idea that it would take longer to get to work didn’t you?
It is not just the speed zone drivers need to get back into a mind set, they also need a mind set for the school bus.
There are still a lot of drivers out there that fly through the bus’s signals… If I am not mistaken they put their ambers on just before they are going to stop, they stop, then open their doors with red lights flashing and a stop sign…..when they load and unload for students.
Please slow down people and pay attention before a child gets hurt. If you see yellow/amber lights flashing, the bus is going to stop for a reason….
Foothills is not a school zone but kids have to cross to get to school. Foothills is allways bad, and the worst are the motorcycles with load pipes at all hours of the day and night.
It’s not just kids who need drivers to follow the rules. I was almost hit at 10th and the Bypass this morning by a driver turning left onto the highway. I had the walk signal and s/he didn’t both to stop until I realized he was going to hit me if I kept walking and jumped out of the way. S/he then decided to skid to a stop and let me continue. If s/he didn’t see me, s/he shouldn’t be driving, and if s/he didn’t care enough to stop, s/he shouldn’t be driving. There is no excuse for coming this close to a pedestrian who has the right of way, in daylight, dry roads, and with the pedestrian wearing a brightly-coloured jacket. As an adult, I know enough to NOT trust any drivers because of all the bad ones out there, but a child in my situation this morning would almost certainly have been hit.
They also need to slow down on other streets as well.There are those that are always in a hurry no matter where or when.
Cheers
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