A Chatham-Kent councillor is calling for slower speed limits in school zones and stronger consequences for drivers who don't follow the rules.
Councillor Carmen McGregor is bringing forward a motion at Monday night's council meeting, which calls for lowered speed limits near schools and doubled speeding fines.
She says there has been a lot of discussion about school safety in the Wallaceburg area following the change of traffic lights at the intersection of Murray St. and Reaume Ave.
"There are some schools that are so congested with buses and cars at the beginning and end of the day. If you get anyone else driving or passing by, it takes but a second for one accident to happen. I think we need to create safer areas for the children going to school," says McGregor.
McGregor adds that the fear of doubled fines will cause people to be more cautious.
"We might make somebody think a little bit more if they get pulled over and they are doing 60 in a 30. If the fine is doubled, people will learn to slow down," she says.
She says council and the municipality will need to work out whether the reduced speed limits would be year-round or just during specific times.
"Sometimes they're regulated by hours...but I'll leave that to engineering and to council to come up with that decision as to whether this is something viable we can do...and I hope it is," says McGregor.
McGregor says she is asking for her Community Safety Zones study to be pulled from the municipality's Traffic Calming Policy, which is to be organized this year with recommendations coming to council in 2019.
"The Traffic Calming Policy is more of a study as to what is being used in other communities...what speed limits and what methods have worked and such," says McGregor.
She says her study is more of a "stand-alone item" that can be dealt with sooner.
"In further thought, I'm thinking this is kind of something that is separate that would require a different process and would still have to go to council for approval because there would be costs for signs and different things to go into all the school zone areas," says McGregor.