Chelsey St. Pierre – The Suburban LJI Reporter

The Montreal Police (SPVM) handed out 6,246 tickets to drivers as part of its “Back to school 2023” operation that took place from August 28 to September 22.

Photo radar surveillance operations in school zones also took place during which 1,675 offenses were ticketed in 119 hours of operations counting just over five percent of all vehicles captured. “The safety of all road users is a constant priority throughout the year. The start of the school year is obviously a highlight because in addition to ensuring the safety of little ones, we sometimes have to call to order those who have lost certain safety reflexes during the summer period,” SPVM Road Safety Section Chief Stéphane Desroches said. The 2023 school year also saw 1,180 prevention activities taking place in the 29 SPVM neighbourhood station sectors, reaching more than 3,000 people. To further improve safety awareness in school sectors, the SPVM also launched their “living radar” project this year to address the dangers of excessive speed in school zones. The project relies on the participation of students at the start of the school year. A total of 6,246 violations were ticketed, 285 double fines related to school zone speeding, 2,144 for speeding outside, but in proximity to the zone, 93 for failure to stop for intermittent red lights on a school bus and 3,724 “other offences” within and surrounding the school-zone safety project.