October 19, 2023 – An innovative new approach to enhancing school zone safety and speed awareness was launched today by the City of Regina with partners from CAA, Regina Police Service and the Regina Public and Regina Catholic school divisions.
Working with the CAA Safety Patrol Program and the students and school employees who operate it daily, the new program features a backpack that’s worn by a student and a radar-based speed sensor held by another student. Drivers in select school zones will immediately see their speed and a corresponding colour. Speeds less than 30 km/hr – the school zone limit will show as green, or amber. Speeds over the 30 km/hr limit will be shown in red.
The school zone safety awareness event was launched today at Ethel Milliken school with a media conference and with the entire school CAA Safety Patrol Program crew. In addition, Regina Police Service, City of Regina, and school division administration were on site to kick off the event. School Resource Officers helped keep the students extra safe while they familiarized themselves with the technology.
“Regina Public Schools encourages initiatives to reduce motorists’ speed in school zones and to help make it safer for students and school families as they go to and from schools, said Darren Boldt, Director of Education/CEO, Regina Public Schools. “We are grateful to our partners at the City of Regina for launching this school zone speed awareness campaign and hope it helps protect some of our most vulnerable citizens.”
Did it work? Absolutely! Average speed was well below 30 km/hr during the morning commute. It is hoped that this awareness campaign makes school zone safety a priority for all motorists.
Later this month, this program will be introduced to the CAA Safety Patrol programs at W.S. Hawrylak School, as well as at St. Francis and St. Jerome Catholic schools. Watch for it and please slow down to 30 km/hr in school zones!
This program originates and technical support is from the Service de police de Laval, the Sûreté du Québec (Québec provincial police) and the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ)
Picture above: CAA Safety Patrol Captain Harry Kangles and Regina Police Service School Resource Officer Cst. Maddie Pawliw were on the job helping motorists get a better understanding of their speed in front of Ethel Milliken School.
The entire Ethel Milliken CAA Safety Patrol Team posing in their safety gear for the launch of the campaign.
