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Steep fines for speeding in school zones

Anyone caught speeding in a school zone faces a minimum fine of $196. That number increases with the speed of the vehicle, up to as much as $483.

Pop quiz: What goes 30 kilometres an hour, Monday to Friday, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m? Te answer: any driver within a school zone who doesn’t want to get slapped with a ticket.

School is back in session, which means school zones are in effect on all school days throughout Greater Victoria.

For police, this means greater enforcement and a stronger presence in front of schools to ensure safety for students in the area.

“This will not be a stop and a reminder – we will be handing out tickets. Everybody who drives should know what to do in a school zone,” said Saanich police Sgt. Dean Jantzen.

Educational institutions on through-streets, like Glanford and Royal Oak middle schools, and Doncaster and Lochside elementaries, will be targeted by police.

“We find that, more often than not, a lot of these violations in school zones are parents dropping their kids off,” Jantzen said. “They’re parents of kids attending that school who are in a rush to get them there in time.”

Parents are reminded to leave themselves enough time in the morning to get everybody ready and out of the house, plus sufficient time to get to school.

A school zone – marked with a 30 km/h sign – begins at the face of one sign and ends when you pass the back of the identical sign on the other side of the street.

Anyone caught speeding in a school zone faces a minimum fine of $196. That number increases with the speed of the vehicle, up to as much as $483.

kslavin@saanichnews.com