Almost 300 drivers ticketed for speeding in school zones

Nearly 300 tickets were issued for speeding through a school zone during the first nine days students were back in class, a significant jump from the same period last year.

Despite public warnings to slow down, 278 speeding tickets were issued, Prince George RCMP Sgt. Matt LaBelle said, Tuesday.

That’s up from 183 over the same period last year.

What’s more, eight drivers lost their vehicles to impoundment for a week due to excessive speeding, including one who was traveling 95 km/h through a school zone.

“This is not safe for children,” LaBelle said. “We will continue to enforce speed limits in areas where children are vulnerable.”

All 37 elementary and secondary schools were patrolled, RCMP said.

The picture was no more impressive as far as Citizens On Patrol was concerned.

Of the 541 drivers COP volunteers observed, 232 were going over the 30 km/h limit or more than 40 per cent. That’s in marked contrast to last year when 10 per cent of the 1,122 observed were speeding.

“That is a very concerning trend,” COP program coordinator Michael Burt said.

Drivers who went through a COP speed watch station but did not get stopped by police will likely receive a warning letter in the mail explaining the offence observed and what the penalty could have been.