School and Playground Zones

School zone

When you approach a school sign, with a maximum speed posted with it, you are entering a school zone. Exceeding the posted speed limit can result in penalties under the Traffic Safety Act.

Times (school days only) are:

• 8:00 am to 9:30 am
• 11:30 am to 1:30 pm
• 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm

These hours may vary for different towns and cities according to municipal bylaws. If a municipality does establish times different from these, the times will be posted beneath the school sign.

You are not permitted to pass or attempt to pass another vehicle travelling in the same direction within a school zone, when the zone is in effect.

The speed limit for both urban and rural school zones is 30 km/h unless otherwise posted.

School zone ends

A school zone ends where a traffic sign indicates:

• a higher maximum speed, or
• the end of the school zone.

School area

When you approach a school sign without a speed sign attached to it, you are entering a school area. This sign is to alert drivers that children may be walking or crossing the road and you must use caution when driving through the school area.

Playground zone

When you approach a playground sign with a maximum speed sign attached to it, you are entering a playground zone. You must not exceed the posted speed, when the zone is in effect.

Playground restrictions are in effect every day from 8:30 am to 1 hour after sunset.

These hours may vary for different towns and cities according to municipal bylaws. If a municipality does establish times different from these, the times will be posted beneath the playground sign.

You are not permitted to pass or attempt to pass another vehicle travelling in the same direction within a playground zone when the speed restriction is in effect.

The speed limit for both urban and rural playground zones, when the times are in effect, is 30 km/h unless otherwise posted.

Playground zone ends

A playground zone ends where a traffic sign indicates:

• a higher maximum speed, or
• the end of the playground zone.

Playground area

When you approach a playground sign without a speed limit sign attached to it, you are entering a playground area. This sign is to alert drivers that children may be near and you must use caution when driving through the playground area.