First marijuana-smoking moms, now speeding cyclists.
On Wednesday, Saanich Police traffic officers ticketed a cyclist for riding above 30 kilometres per hour in a school zone during speed enforcement outside Glanford Middle School.
“They noted a cyclist passing a string of traffic that had slowed down for the school zone,” said Saanich Police public information officer A/Sgt. Jereme Leslie. “Our officer stepped out and stopped the cyclist and explained that they are to follow the same rules of the road as motor vehicle traffic.”
Under Section 183 of the Motor Vehicle Act, “a person operating a cycle on a highway has the same rights and duties as a driver of a vehicle,” meaning cyclists can be ticketed for the same traffic violations as drivers.
“I think they were sort of surprised, but after our traffic officer explained things to them, they understood,” said Leslie. “It’s for the safety of kids. Kids are very unpredictable – they can jump out in front of traffic at any time, and the slower you’re going, the more prepared you are and the less possibility there is of an injury or death occurring.”
In B.C., drivers (and cyclists) can face significant penalties for speeding in school zones, depending on how fast they’re going. Fines start at $196 (31 to 50 km/h) and go to $253 (51 to 70 km/h), $368 (71 to 90 km/h) and $483 (greater than 90 km/h), with all ticket levels resulting in three demerit points.
