Police have been patrolling school zones over the first week of the school year, and the detachment is happy that most people seem to be following the rules.

"It's been going well," said Cst. Dan Martin, "School zone patrols have definitely been stepped up. Virtually all members on shift, if not tied up with other calls, are patrolling school zones at the start of the school day as well as at the end."

Martin said most people have been adhering to school zone speed limits, but there are some that have been ticketed for other reasons.

"Speeding has not been a big issue. There have been some tickets issued for distracted driving, people holding cell phones, as well as some illegal u-turns."

U-turns in school zones are especially dangerous because of the presence of children walking and biking to school. Martin said there's another concern that parents should be aware of as well.

"In talking with school staff, they've noticed things have been going quite smoothly. One of their biggest concerns was jaywalking as well. A lot of parents will let their kids out on one side of the street and send them across the street."

Martin said parents should set the example for their children on how to cross the street safely, especially after a child was hit by a car while crossing in a crosswalk near a school last week.

RCMP want to encourage drivers to continue to follow signage in school zones, and avoid parking in drop-off zones at schools.

 

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