LAKELAND - Bus safety isn’t only for students travelling back and forth to school.
Every school year, motorists must also be mindful of school busses on the roads, stop when red lights are flashing, and adhere to strict speed limits posted within school zones. The recurring lessons apply to all motorists, regardless of age and experience.
According to enforcement officers with Lac La Biche County, most drivers have done their homework so far this year – but they are still not earning a perfect score.
John Kokotilo, the municipality’s manager of Protective Services, says his community peace officers have issued quite a few written warnings to motorists in school zones this year, and fined three drivers with violation tickets. He said most have been some school zone speed violations, but two incidents have been documented where drivers have passed a school bus while its lights were flashing.
“CPO’s have issued a minimum of 20 written warnings within the last month and three fines have been issued,” Kokotilo told Lakeland This Week. “Verbal warnings are not documented – but many have been issued between me and the other CPO officers.”
Patrols
One interesting lesson Kokotilo himself has learned from this year’s school zone patrols, he said, is about who has been getting those tickets and warnings.
While locals are generally compliant with the rules regarding speeding and school zones, those visiting the area sometimes are not, he said.
“The Lac La Biche County residents seem to be aware of the speeds and school zones, while usually out-of-towners seem to be doing the speeding,” he said.
Depending on call volume, Kokotilo continued, community peace officers monitor school zones in Lac La Biche and Plamondon on a regular basis through the week. School zones in Lac La Biche County are in effect between the hours of 8-9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and 3-4:30 p.m. each day school is in session. The posted speed limit within school zones is 30 km/hr.
The rules are similar across the Lakeland region.