As students prepare for their return to class following the summer break, they should be focused on making sure they're ready to resume their studies.
While they certainly should already be in the habit of looking both ways before crossing the street and only doing so at intersections or marked crosswalks, the last thing they should have to worry about are reckless, impatient motorists.
Students return to class this Thursday, Sept. 1, meaning the school zone in front of River Valley School along Centre Street as well as Second Avenue NW will be back in effect.
Drivers will be expected to slow down to 30 kilometres per hour after being able throughout the summer to reach speeds of up to 50 kilometres per hour. Sometimes, old habits die hard, so it's worth reminding motorists who might have gotten a little too accustomed to going faster that the time has come to slow down during school days.
After all, many of us take anywhere from a few days to several weeks just to get used to writing in the proper date following a new year. But writing down “2015” when it's actually 2016 is a harmless mistake — one that most of us would casually laugh about.
However, carelessly speeding through a school zone definitely is no laughing matter. Sundre is not exactly so widespread that it takes any significant amount of time to get from one end of town to the other. In other words, motorists should not be so pressed for time that they keep the gas pedal down through a school zone. Saving a few seconds is not worth risking a life.
This fact is not lost on the local police.
“Traffic safety is one of our priorities for this year,” Sgt. Jim Lank, the Sundre RCMP detachment's commander, told the Round Up.
“We will have some increased focus on the school zone, especially at the beginning of the school year,” he said, adding police plan to work in tandem with the Town of Sundre's community peace officer.
Working towards the end goal of making Sundre's roads safer, police will also be increasing enforcement on distracted driving, he said.
Of course the last thing anyone wants is a speeding or distracted driving ticket and the demerits that come with it, so it would be even better if drivers make the conscious effort not only to drive slower around the schools but also to make sure they're not distracted by any devices when they should be paying attention to the road around them.
Ensuring the safety of Sundre's students while at the same time avoiding hefty fines sounds like a win-win for everyone, so remember to leave for work a minute earlier on Thursday morning to make sure you don't find yourself tempted to needlessly rush.
— Simon Ducatel, editor
