Niagara Police out for school zone safety blitz

[projekktor id=’20790′]

Niagara Regional Police are teaching a lesson on this first day back to school about driving safely – especially in school zones.

59,000 students across Niagara region, high school and elementary students, are headed back to school. Many are excited about getting on the bus or walking to class.

That’s why police launched their annual all hands on deck safety initiative in school zones. They are in school zones across the region from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Port Colborne to Grimsby. And they are paying particular attention to speeders and aggressive drivers and anybody who is simply not paying attention to the young kids on the road.

Deputy Chief Joe Matthews says the force puts every available officer in uniform for this blitz. “‘All hands on deck’ is a day where we get to get out in a highly visible fashion and just remind all of the people that school is back in and it is time to slow down and pay attention.”

“Often times we get a little complacent. We are driving through neighbourhoods where there are empty schools and we are not used to seeing the children around the schools. Now that school is back in, we need to refocus our efforts and drive safely.”

Police are even watching the school bus drivers. They caught a driver who had been drinking. Another driver was speeding through a school zone.

Last year they stopped 280 vehicles and gave out 140 tickets; 86 of them for speeding.

CHCH’s Lauran Sabourin will have more on the blitz tonight on the Evening News at 6.