Victoria police says around 400 drivers were flagged going 11 km/h or more over the speed limit in school zones after students returned to class in September.
"This is not acceptable and clearly our work isn't finished," police said in social media post on Wednesday (Oct. 2).
On the first day of school, VicPD's advised drivers that traffic officers would be out at local schools throughout the month. Those officers and volunteers with the Speed Watch team visited every school in Victoria and Esquimalt between Sept. 3 and 25.
"As students settle into the school year, we'll continue our efforts to keep them safe. Let's remember to all do our part," Victoria police said.
While noting officers weren't always with volunteers at the school-zone sites, a VicPD spokesperson said officers did issue 35 tickets during the campaign. On top of that, the education-focused campaign also led to vehicles being pulled over and drivers being spoken to and warned.
The data collected by speed water volunteers also helps provide data on which areas may need more targeted enforcement, the spokesperson said.
Fifty one children get injured in crashes within school and playground zones every year, according to ICBC. The insurance agency added that six children in Victoria are injured while walking or cycling every year, with that rising to 47 across all of Vancouver Island.
School zones are in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every weekday and automatically have speed limits of 30 km/h unless otherwise posted, ICBC says.
