Speed limits drop to 30

City cracks down on speed

At the start of the month, Regina school zones decreased from 40km/hr to 30km/hr.

The change came about in May when city council voted to implement the lower speeds after a committee (consisting of city staff, SGI, CAA, school division members and police) recommended the alteration, first in 2017, and again in 2018.

According to research done by the World Health Organization, a pedestrian has a 90 per cent chance of survival if hit by a vehicle driving 30km/hr. The odds decrease drastically when the speed is at 45km/hr or higher.

U-turns are also now no longer allowed in the 93 school zones across the city. These manoeuvres can be quick and unexpected, making them dangerous for children walking and cycling in these zones.

Additionally, the time window for the reduced speeds are now in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. where, previously, drivers needed to obey the 40km/hr signage between the hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. School zones are still in effect seven days a week.

The base fine in Saskatchewan for speeding in school zones is $170 with additional fees added on top of that amount, depending on the violation.

Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton currently have school zones set at 30 km/hr with Regina being the last to join the trend.

The cost for the change of signage is estimated at $450,000, the funds for which came from revenue generated by the automatic photo speed enforcement program, which was piloted over the last two years. Workers began the job in the summer months so as to be prepared for the September 1 start date.

The change to commute time is minimal; with officials stating that a mere four seconds should be added to what used to take 14 seconds. This is a simple adjustment that all drivers can easily adapt to. It is extremely important to exercise caution when passing through a school zone because these are high-traffic areas, used most often by young people.