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Police enforce school zone speed limits as Greater Victoria students return to class

Saanich police on the lookout for speeders outside Glanford Middle School
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Saanich police officers Const. Curtis Craig (left) and Const. Chelsea Cofield caught several drivers ignoring school zone speed limits outside Glanford Middle School on June 1. (Devon Bidal/News Staff)

As schools across B.C. reopen their doors to students, Saanich police are reminding residents that school zone speed limits are back in effect.

As of June 1, many students will once again be attending classes in person and, in an effort to remind drivers to watch their speed, traffic safety officers with the Saanich Police Department were set up with speed-readers outside Glanford Middle School on Monday morning.

Constables Chelsea Cofield and Curtis Craig stood outside the school monitoring drivers’ speeds for about an hour and issued several speeding tickets in that time, said Const. Markus Anastasiades, public information officer for the Saanich Police Department.

Many of the drivers who received tickets told police that they were unaware that school zone speed limits were back in effect, but Anastasiades said this isn’t a valid excuse.

Between countless reminders from police and media coverage, the public should have known schools were reopening on June 1 – “it even coincides with being on a Monday,” he said.

READ ALSO: Saanich police see spike in excessive speeding compared to previous years

Drivers are expected to reduce their speed to 30 km/h when passing through school zones from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and keep an eye out for children on the roadway, Anastasiades said.

Motorists should also be familiar with where school zones are and “follow the rules of the road,” he said.

Anastasiades added that the 30 km/h limit is set for a reason; this speed limit reduces the risk of serious injuries that could be caused by a collision.

Those caught speeding in school zones receive heftier tickets than they would on regular stretches of road because, like construction zones, it’s a region where people are on the street, Anastasiades explained. Drivers caught going up to 20 km/h over the limit receive a $196 ticket and those going 21 to 40 km/h over the limit are slapped with a $283 ticket, he said.

For the month of June, Saanich residents can expect to see police out enforcing school zone speed limits to keep students safe.


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devon.bidal@saanichnews.com

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Saanich police officers Const. Curtis Craig (right) and Const. Chelsea Cofield caught several drivers ignoring school zone speed limits outside Glanford Middle School on June 1. (Devon Bidal/News Staff)