The new 2017-18 school year got underway on Tuesday for all students in the Southeast Cornerstone and Holy Family school divisions, with students making their way to class on foot, by car or by bus.
There is always an adjustment for both the children and their parents, and for motorists in general, as they come off their summer vacation time and the Labour Day weekend, when for many people it was a time to relax at the lake, go travelling or just to take it easy around the house.
In Weyburn, there are two scenarios for everyone to be aware of: the school zones of 30 kilometres an hour, and the school buses with flashing lights and arms that are picking up or dropping off students throughout the city as well as at the various schools.
In both instances, the Weyburn Police Service will be watching the school zones and the buses while they are out picking students up or dropping them off after school, but they can’t be everywhere at once.
It is imperative that motorists are mindful of both the school zones and the buses, and even in general around the city, to watch for children on their way to or from school. As they are just coming back from two months of vacation, they may not always be aware of the need to watch for traffic and might run out across the road without thinking.
The main concern is safety, and is the primary reason why the buses have the flashing red lights and the stop arms come out when dropping off or picking up children. Even with the visual reminders to drivers, there still are instances being reported to the police of motorists driving by the buses at full speed or faster, and nearly every bus driver can tell of near-misses with children, indicating that not all motorists are watching, or care, for children dashing out from the front of a bus into the road.
This was also the reason why the school zone speeds were introduced in the city for all of the schools, as a reminder to motorists of the importance of slowing down. If a police officer has to stop a motorist who ignores these signs or flashing red lights, there are significant fines plus points are recorded against the driver’s safety record, and with enough of these points, this will affect the insurance premiums as well.
The bottom line is, no one wants to see a tragic accident where a young boy or girl is hurt or killed because a motorist was in a hurry or was not paying attention to what was happening. This would not be a good way to start off a new school year, so children and adults alike need to be alert and be careful on the road, and let’s have a good school year in Weyburn and area. — Greg Nikkel
