A quick reminder: school zone speed limits in Saskatoon and Prince Albert went back into effect yesterday. (mon)  Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. the speed limit in school zones is 30 km/h.  The first day of school for the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools as well as the Saskatoon Public Schools is today.

There is a direct relationship between how fast a vehicle is going and the severity of injury, and that’s why the speed limit in school zones is reduced during the school year.  The acting Engineering Manager with the City of Saskatoon’s Transportation Division says setting school zone speeds at 30 kilometres an hour was not an arbitrary decision.  David LeBoutillier says that according to the World Health Organization’s speed management manual, the chances of a child surviving a collision when a driver is going 30 is 90 per cent. That lowers to 60 per cent when driving 40 km/h, a 20 per cent chance of survival when hit at 50 km/h and no chance of surviving a collision at 60 km/h.