Tomorrow, Thursday September 5, approximately 5,800 students head back to school in the Tri County Regional Centre For Education’s catchment area.
Many of them will be travelling on school buses and in the past couple of years, school bus red light violations have been a problem.
It puts children at great risk.
TCRCE executive director Chris Boulter says put simply, passing a school bus with its lights flashing, endangers lives.
“Just a reminder for drivers, regardless of where you are, if a scxhool bus is stopped and their lights are on, please, stop and provide some distance.”
TCRCE bus drivers participated in safety training Tuesday and Boulter says it’s important for parents and guardians to remind children to always listen to the driver.
“They have key messages which they’ll provide students and obviously to communicate messages to younger students in terms of boarding safely, getting off the bus safely and safe behaviour while on the bus.”
In a related matter, Nova Scotia RCMP are reminding drivers about the rules around school zone speed limits.
In a release they say that different school zones have different speed limits.
” If the posted speed limit is 50 km/h, motorists must slow to a maximum of 30 km/h when children are present. If the posted limit is higher than 50 km/h, motorists must slow to a maximum of 50 km/h in school zones when children are present. During school hours, motorists must lower their speed and assume children are present. On weekends, evenings and holidays, motorists may drive the posted speed limit unless there are children near the school zone.”
Speeding in a school zone can mean a first offense fine of:
$352.50 and two points on a driver’s license for travelling 1-15 km/h over the speed limit.
$467.50, three points on a driver’s license and a 7-day license suspension for travelling 16-30 km/h over the speed limit.
$697.50, four points on a driver’s license and a 7-day license suspension for travelling 31 or more km/h over the speed limit.
