It’s the end of summer break and more than 150,000 students are returning to school across Edmonton on Tuesday morning — which is why police are reminding drivers to slow down and pay attention to school zones.
The number of speeding tickets issued in the 30 km/h school and playground zones is trending downward — but the number is still too high, according to EPS.
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During the 2016-17 school year — from Sept. 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017 — more than 46,000 City of Edmonton photo radar speeding tickets were mailed out to drivers caught speeding through school and playground zones.
For same time frame in the 2017-18 school year, over 30,000 photo radar tickets were issued to drivers caught speeding through playground zones. Edmonton police officers conducting speed enforcement in school zones also issued 8,400 tickets on the spot during the last school year.
“Given these numbers, it’s obvious there is still a large number of drivers in our city who continue to ignore the 30 km/h speed limit near schools,” said EPS Traffic Safety Coordinator Kerry Bates.
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Police also cautioned the onus isn’t just on drivers to be safe.
“Pedestrians also have to be on the ball, and adhere to the rules of the road,” Bates said.
“Walking an extra 30 feet to arrive at a marked crosswalk, for instance, rather than taking a shortcut across the street, could very well save your life. Road safety isn’t just for drivers.”
WATCH: Vinesh Pratap reports live Tuesday morning on the first day of school, as police are urging drivers to slow down and pay attention.
The Edmonton Police Service re-launched its “Be a textbook driver” public awareness campaign this week, to remind drivers to slow down and be mindful of the 30 km/h speed limit around school and playground zones.
Across the province, police will be stepping up school zone enforcement during the first week of back to school.
WATCH: Thousands of students headed back to class on Tuesday morning. Education Minister David Eggen joined Erin Chalmers to talk about the upcoming year.
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