Summer School Zones?

[optiblue]

I thought I knew my laws inside and out after a decade of driving. I was under the impression that once students are off from high schools / elementary schools for the summer holidays or on a stat holiday, those zones automatically become 50km/h since it's no longer a "school day."

Today I was travelling eastbound on Moscrop just past Moscrop Highschool in Burnaby going at 50km/h behind another vehichle also travelling at the same speed. An officer lasers, and then signals him to pull over for what appeared to be a speeding infraction.

My questions:
1) Would the 30km/h school zone apply all throughout summer and on stat holidays?
or
2) Does having summer school sessions classify as a "school day?"

[Inaii]

Might be because of Provincial exams? I'm curious about this too as I was under the impression it didn't include when school is not in session.

[ws6ta]

sometimes close to school zones there are playgrounds. I'm not sure if thats the case around moscrop but its possible. i got a ticket speeding after 5. i assumed school zone but it was a playground zone

[Inaii]

Moscrop doesn't have one nearby, well not until you get to Patterson, then there's a park there. I'm guessing OP was at Willingdon though.

[hchang]

Originally Posted by Inaii

Might be because of Provincial exams? I'm curious about this too as I was under the impression it didn't include when school is not in session.

Summer Schools happen in High Schools, and High Schools don't enforce the 30km/h school zone speed limit.

[Inaii]

Burnaby South did when I went there. Mind you that was a loooong time ago. Also, thought summer school didn't start until first week of July. My mistake

[wnderinguy]

Originally Posted by optiblue

An officer lasers, and then signals him to pull over for what appeared to be a speeding infraction.

Could also have been a no seatbelt or talking on a Cellphone ?

[Rich Sandor]

Sat & Sun and Stat Holidays are NOT regular school days. Summer School (monday-friday)does qualify as a regular school day.

School zones are 30kph from 8am to 5pm by default, but they may be extended at certain locations, in which case the times will be specifically posted on the sign.

(1) A person driving a vehicle on a regular school day and on a highway where signs are displayed stating a speed limit of 30 km/h, or on which the numerals "30" are prominently shown, must drive at a rate of speed not exceeding 30 km/h while approaching or passing the school building and school grounds to which the signs relate, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., or subject to subsection (1.1), between any extended times that are stated on the signs.

(1.1) Extended hours under subsection (1) may not begin later than 8 a.m. or end earlier than 5 p.m.

Please note there is a difference between SCHOOL ZONES and PLAYGROUND ZONES.

SCHOOL ZONES are only on school days from 8am to 5pm.

PLAYGROUND ZONES are EVERYDAY from DAWN till DUSK.

Civil "dawn" is defined as that time at which there is enough light for objects to be distinguishable, so that outdoor activities can commence; formally, when the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon in the morning. (and dusk is obviously the opposite)

So for example, Pacific Ave (along English bay in the West end) is a 30kph zone from dawn till dusk, and then at night it's back to 50kph.

[TOS'd]

Originally Posted by Inaii

Burnaby South did when I went there. Mind you that was a loooong time ago. Also, thought summer school didn't start until first week of July. My mistake

Haha, I remember taking Physics there. We would go out to Rumble and measure the velocity of cars, and write down our findings. You can see the drivers get spooked and then brake all of a sudden to get under 30km/h.

[wing_woo]

I've seen school signs that have "summer school" attached to it to indicate that there was summer school at that school.

[optiblue]

Originally Posted by hchang

Summer Schools happen in High Schools, and High Schools don't enforce the 30km/h school zone speed limit.

Go check out Moscrop Highschool, it's one of the few highschools with a speed zone.

Originally Posted by Inaii

Moscrop doesn't have one nearby, well not until you get to Patterson, then there's a park there. I'm guessing OP was at Willingdon though.

Yup, just 10 meters away from Willingdon.

Originally Posted by wnderinguy

Could also have been a no seatbelt or talking on a Cellphone ?

It was clearly a laser gun and a second officer pulled him over. I couldn't see the cellphone if they were using one, but seatbelt is a possibility.

Originally Posted by wing_woo

I've seen school signs that have "summer school" attached to it to indicate that there was summer school at that school.

A friend has just said the same thing to me. I shall take a closer look at the sign on my way to work tomorrow!


Thanks everyone, I guess I'll be driving 30km/h in school zones this summer just to be safe!

[sebberry]

Originally Posted by optiblue

Thanks everyone, I guess I'll be driving 30km/h in school zones this summer just to be safe!

Remember, that's "MAXIMUM" 30km/hr. To be safe, do 20. Just to tick everyone off

On a related note, I slowed to 30 at the bottom of a hill entering a school zone today. I was being tailgated by a bicycle. He had no front licence plate so I couldn't report him.

IMO, the schools should be required to put out those bright orange cutouts of kids to signal to drivers that it is a school day. Those signs should be out before a ticket can be issued.

Too many schools now hold pro-d days on different days. You can go past one school that is closed and then get a ticket in front of a different school on the same day.

[optiblue]

^haha maybe one day they'll set that up, but it'll also be the day when crimes are zero!

Update: just drove by and it says nothing on the sign other than school days, and there isn't a billboard anywhere that says summer school sessions are in place.
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[tool001]

u guys know, if ispeed limit is not posted unter the school sign .u go 50.... and if u slow down in ur exam, when its not posted ,, u fail...
and think its only school days.
play ground dawn to dusk.

[snowball]

Highschool is not officially out until exams are finished on the 30th of June.

Schools that have summer school will have "SUMMER SCHOOL" posted underneath the school zone speed limit near the school.

You don't have to go 30km/h on weekends/holidays/summer after july 1 (unless a summer school sign is posted)

[Glove]

ive always wondered about pro-d days,

if a specific school is off for the day, is the limit 50 or 30?

[mb_]

^I'd do 30 just to be safe

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

^

+1

[Glove]

Originally Posted by xclusive

^I'd do 30 just to be safe

that would hafto be disputable though,

I work for a school district and I know all the schools that are out on which days, and I usually just go 50 during those times,

but I was always just curious about weather a cop would give you the ticket or not if there was a pro-D

not to mention if the cop knew the school was out, and he wanted to be a real douche, he could give you a ticket for going too slow,

haha

[wing_woo]

Yes, it happened to a coworker. She got a ticket for going 50 in a school zone and I found out for her that there was a Pro-D day. I told her to dispute. Don't know what ever happened though. There really is no way for the officer to know that a school is out on that day so even if you know it's a day off, it's safer to just go at 30 because more likely than not, the officer isn't going to verify for you that it's a pro-D day. For all he knows, you could have just said it to see if he would let you off. Just safer I find to do 30 in the school zone regardless. However, I did have a cop tailgate me once when I was doing 30 in a long school zone. She flashed her lights and I pulled over and she sped past me. Guess I was holding her up.

[Jgresch]

Theres an elementary school down the street from me whos summer starts in August not July, so for one month everyone just rips through because they don't know shcool is in session, recently they changed the sign to say Sept-July 30kmh

[sebberry]

Originally Posted by wing_woo

There really is no way for the officer to know that a school is out on that day so even if you know it's a day off, it's safer to just go at 30 because more likely than not, the officer isn't going to verify for you that it's a pro-D day.

There isn't really any way for the average driver to know if it is a pro-d day either.

As for the officer enforcing a law on a day it shouldn't be enforced, I'd be pretty upset to see my property tax dollars paying an officer to do something he shouldn't be.

[Bainne]

Fortunately for you there is case precedent for this!

A quick thanks to Skidmark for this DriverSmartBC blog and posting up traffic case law which is never fun to try and find :S

R. v. Ashir, [2010] BCPC 56

[11]........So I have taken my guidance from the School Act, RSBC 1996 c.412, and its Regulations. Section 1 of the School Act defines school day as “any one of the days in session” and days in session (abridged) as “the days in a school year in which teachers are scheduled, in the school calendar, to be available”. I found the School Calendar Regulation, B.C. Reg. 114/2002, to be of greatest assistance. Section 6 of that Regulation requires a Board to operate each school in accordance with the school calendar. Schedule I (Supplement) to the Regulation sets out the school calendar for 2008 / 2009 and it lists March 23 as the day that school reopens after Spring Vacation and, with the exception of 3 single-day holidays not relevant to this matter, June 26 as the day school closes.


[12] I conclude from this legislation that a regular school day within the meaning of the Motor Vehicle Act in the 2008 / 2009 school year is any weekday between September 2, 2008 and June 26, 2009 other than the periods listed as Winter Vacation and Spring Vacation or the 5 listed statutory holidays. I therefore conclude that Thursday, June 11, 2009 was a regular school day.

Here is a link to a copy of the school calendar, including 09/10.
http://www.sd35.bc.ca/schools/Genera...20Calendar.pdf
It appears up until June 30th, is considered and official school day, so unfortunately you are hooped.

You could however, contact the school directly if school was in fact not in session and obtain an affidavit confirming this.

[optiblue]

^so when teachers are "scheduled" would include pro-D days as a school day then? Alright, so July 1st it's 50 unless it says summer school on a sign?
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