DRIVING 24 PAGES
SECTIONS E AND F
So much to learn about school zones
eedback and questions from last week’s column addressing school and playground speed zones deserve a follow-up. Keith S. noted that he had indeed seen school zone signs that deviated from the regular 8 a.m.-5 p.m. time period. The alternate hours of enforcement are posted on the school signs. He also commented on the practice of some schools that are “community schools” using playground zones instead of the standard pentagon schoolhouse-shaped signs.
The specially designated schools are involved in joint-use agreements with local government and other recreation and educational organizations. They are a hub of activity at all hours of the day and evening. Playground signs, which are in effect from dawn to dusk every day of the week, seem more appropriate for such locations.
Kathie asked if the school zones were in effect during teacher professional days and non-instructional days. The answer is a resounding “yes.” They are even enforced during the strike time periods of a labour dispute. She also referenced the Alberta system of doing away with school zone signs and replacing them with playground signs. This eliminates the confusion of two different time spans and affords the public an additional measure of protection.
Another reader wanted to know the exact difference in the colour and shape of the playground signs as compared with the school-zone signs. She maintained that there are yellow school zone signs, as well as those with the lime green colour. She is absolutely correct.
Some municipalities have never replaced the old yellowcoloured schoolhouse-shaped signs with the newer lime-green signs of the same shape. The only thing that really matters is the black numerals on a white-backed tab that appears at the bottom of the pentagon-schoolhouse sign. This tab makes the 30-kilometresper-hour sign a legal speed zone. When such a sign tab has a yellow or amber backing, regardless of the colour of the actual schoolhouse sign, it has no 30-km/h enforcement designation. That goes for playground signs as well.
Another reader had a logical suggestion. He wanted to have the signs designating the end of the school zone on the same side of the street as the one at the beginning of the zone. He did not think it was fair to have visiting motorists look at the blank backing of a sign on the opposite side of the road, facing the other direction, and actually know what it means.
As an aside, I have requested such a change in the past, and was told the reason for the manner of constructing these signs in such a fashion was to save money on the number of signs needed. A lame excuse at best.
Another reader wanted to have the days and hours of enforcement posted on all school and playground signs. California does this very thing, with a great degree of success.
I received a number of emails that complained about the sloppy construction and placement of the above-noted speed zone signs. Some were seemingly placed behind trees, obstructing the driver’s view. Others were placed at such an angle as to be indiscernible, until a driver had pulled alongside the very sign designating the end of the speed zone. With 13 municipal jurisdictions posting these signs independently, it is no wonder there are several anomalies along the way.
Whether the school and playground zones are properly marked, drivers would do well to watch carefully for pedestrians, especially children. With the start of the school year this week, it is up to all drivers and pedestrians alike to be pay special attention to pivotal people places such as school and playground areas. Steve Wallace is the owner of Wallace Driving School on Vancouver Island. He is a former vice-president of the Driving Schools Association of the Americas, a registered B.C. teacher and a University of Manitoba graduate.