Drivers passing by Malaspina Elementary School on Wednesday morning were sure to receive a stiff reminder if they dared exceed the speed limit for school zones.
Coinciding with the first full day of the school year in School District 57, members of the RCMP's Highway Patrol were out in numbers - radar guns in hand - as part of a media event to remind motorists that the 30 km/h speed limit is back in effect.
"Eight to five, Monday to Friday, during school days, we have to remember to slow down for our most vulnerable and probably most easily distracted citizens in Prince George," said Cst. Jennifer Cooper.
A few bad apples were pulled over while other drivers were notified of their speeds via a digital sign overseen by volunteers. Parents and teachers, meanwhile, thanked police, volunteers and personnel from Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement who were also on the scene, as kids paraded onto the school ground.
With the advent of smartphones, Cooper said police have noticed a rise in the number of drivers who risk "doubling things up" by not only getting fined for speeding but also for distracted driving.
Speeding in a school zone or playground zone poses a fine ranging from $196 to $253 and three demerit points. Using an electronic device while driving and emailing or texting while driving carries a $368 fine and four demerit points.
If you accumulate more than three points in a 12-month period, you will be subject to a driver point premium that starts at $252 and rises from there. (More on fines and penalties can be found at the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia website).
Some school zone signs, notably in the vicinity of local high schools, do not have the 30 km/h warning posted below them, "but it doesn't mean drivers can be any less attentive in those zones," Cooper said.
"Make sure you are slowing down especially before and after school and during lunchtime when students are rushing to those places last minute and may not be looking around."
Weather should also be taken into account. Snowfall, and with it slick roads, are imminent as will be commutes in the dark. A thick fog had descended College Heights on Wednesday morning, making visibility less than ideal.
"As drivers, we definitely need to be prepared for our quickly-changing weather," Cooper said. "Here in Prince George it can be sunny one minute and the next minute there's a thunderstorm or it's snowing - I know I said the dreaded S-word - and we need to make sure that our driving habits change to accommodate those different types of weather as well."
Advice included flipping on headlights so walkers and cyclists can see cars and trucks coming from further away and slowing down when coming to areas congested with pedestrian traffic.
ICBC road safety coordinator Doug MacDonald had some advice for students and parents - from sticking to designated crosswalks and sidewalks to making eye contact with drivers and giving yourself enough time to get your kids to school without being rushed.
He also urged drivers to slowing down in playground zones as well.
"Cover the brake pedal because there could be kids coming across the road, darting out for a ball or what have you, and they're not paying attention like they should be doing," MacDonald said.
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