With the school year well under way and the continued construction in downtown Huntsville known as “Diggin’ Downtown Huntsville”, there is no more important time than now for the Huntsville Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) to urge drivers to slow down in school zones in an effort to keep our children safe.
Motorists should be aware that there is often a reduced speed limit and increased penalty for not adhering to the speed limit in school zones.
Officers from the Huntsville Detachment have been and will continue to conduct traffic enforcement in school zones to ensure the safety of our community.
The OPP would like to take this time to remind motorists to pay close attention when meeting or following a school bus. Motorists in both directions must stop when approaching a stopped school bus with its stop sign extended and red lights activated and cannot start moving until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop sign has been retracted and the bus has started to move.
Highway 60 continues to be an area of concern in regards to vehicles passing school buses that have its red lights activated and stop sign extended.
Fines for not stopping:
• First offence $400 to $2,000 and six demerit points
• Each following offence, $1,000 to $4,000, six demerit points and possible jail time (up to six months)
To report motorists who fail to stop for school buses call 1-888-310-1122 or 9-1-1 in an emergency. Note the driver and vehicle description, licence plate and direction of travel.
For more information on school bus safety please visit the Ministry of Transportation’s website at mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/school-bus-safety.shtml.
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Regarding the previous comment, might it be pointed out that the ‘cops’ don’t ‘fink’ on anyone. I’m not a fan of the practice, but it is our fellow citizens that fink on us, to the police. I find ‘sometimes’ and ‘peek-a-boo surveillance’ to be lacking but I suppose their numbers don’t allow the police to be everywhere, all the time. So I agree that the system is less than adequate, but I don’t feel unsafe in my community.
That being said, I find the safety of school children to be a rather poor platform to choose, from which to confront law enforcement. The stretch of hwy. 60 in question, for me seems to be an ideal place for photo radar and maybe a few units. I’m sure they would soon pay for themselves.
Not any of those people in a hurry to be somewhere, is worth the injury, or worse, of one young citizen. And announcing such a mishap to the parents, would be another of those tragic duties, likely to be performed by a police officer.
Watch for those school buses. Try not to be part of the problem. We can do it.
I love how the cops give us a tattle tale line . So they don’t have to do their detective work.