Submitted by Nelson Police Department
With return of the nice weather the school and playground zones in Nelson have become busy with activity in the morning and after school.
Unfortunately, there have been several concerns raised about drivers not paying attention, not following posted speed limits and other perpetuating other driving errors. It is important that children, parents and teachers ensure everyone is using proper and safe crossing practices – please teach your children to look before crossing and using cross walks and make sure all vehicles have come to a complete stop.
School zone hours are typically in effect between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on school days unless other hours are posted. Keep in mind, many kids use school playgrounds outside of school times and on weekends, so continue to be alert for kids any time you drive through a school zone.
In playground zones, a 30 km/h speed limit is in effect from dawn to dusk, 365 days of the year.
Drivers must stop for pedestrians who are occupying the crosswalk on the half of the road the vehicle is travelling. Of course, it’s also the responsibility of a pedestrian to remain on the curb or other safe place until there is enough time for a driver to reasonably stop to give them the right of way. It’s also the safest rule for drivers to wait for as long as it takes for all pedestrians to reach the curb on the other side.
Nelson Police will be making extra patrols in and around the schools and conducting enforcement for the remainder of the school year. We all need to do our part to ensure that an already challenging school year does not end with a tragedy. Please exercise a extra patience and attentiveness when travelling through these zones. Taking an extra 10 seconds may save a life!