WESTLOCK – With students from Busby to Fawcett and all points in-between heading back to school tomorrow, Aug. 31, RCMP remind drivers there’ll be a lot more early-morning and late-afternoon vehicle and pedestrian traffic compared to the summer months.
And although there may be slightly less volume initially due to the two-day, Aug. 31 – Sept. 1, staggered opening for Pembina Hills School Division schools, the fact remains that drivers need to get back in the habit of easing off the gas pedal through school and playground zones and exercising caution around school buses. There’s no staggered start for St. Mary School, which also opened Aug. 31.
“There’ll be a lot more pedestrians, obviously little pedestrians that drivers need to be on the lookout for,” said Westlock RCMP Staff Sgt. Al Baird Aug. 26. “The kids are excited to be going to back to school so they can be darting out and in between cars so we need to watch out for those little people. The first week is always so busy.”
School zones, which have a 30 km/h limit, operate daily from 8 a.m.to 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 pm and again from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. — these hours can vary by municipality.
Of note is R.F. Staples School, whose southern border touches Highway 18 (100th Street). Since that’s a provincial highway, the 30 km/h playground speed limit does not apply there, but does on the north and east sides of the school on 104th Street and 102nd Avenue. As well, the southern lot is where the school buses enter and exit and is also the student parking lot meaning there’s always more traffic in the mornings and afternoons.
And as a reminder for drivers, the Town of Westlock, unlike the communities of Barrhead and Athabasca, already has a 40 km/h speed limit on local roads, while the 50 km/h limit remains on highways 18 and 44 through town.
“We’ll be out patrolling and I’m sure the town peace officers will be out as well. We want to make everyone is safe to start the school year,” Baird continued.
School bus safety is a continual concern not only for the RCMP, but school divisions as well as there are numerous reports yearly of drivers blowing by parked buses with their lights engaged. Pembina Hills’ website provides a form drivers can fill out asking them to make note of vehicle’s licence plate number and vehicle description (make, model, colour) and the time and place of the incident. The fine for passing a school bus after it’s come to a stop to load or unload students is $543 and six demerits
“There’s so much danger there. If you blow past a school bus with its stop sign out there could be little kids walking across the road. There’s no taking it back once a collision happens,” he concluded.
