— zone sign. o HERE'S my vague ue attempt at sounding timely and current: Oh “Look! School’s started! - Today we zone in on, Mahon Avenue school zone signage. the mighty Motor Vehicle Act which irrevocably states that “the back of the sign assem- bly erected for the opposite direction of travel designates the end of the restricted zone.” . [zones of the school and’ nd variety, : scribe’s observation that : waite “most drivers imprecisely. recall siogans like “dawn to rtant to limit in nut in a play- “gro i zone is “exactly.the same as the speed limit! outside of the zone (usually 50 km-h) UNLESS a xed tab is affixed dencath ¢ zone sign. The “tab” is invariably printed black on white, making it regulatory, -and almost always read “30 km-h.” It is the tab which. ° hanges the speed limit. Get it? :The zone signs mark the zone;'the tabs tell. § the ‘speed limit in the : “-No tab? Same speed limit as everywhere else. : finally, a bit of clarity’ on th of zones. It’s ‘pretty simple really. Involves a GT i! = Side Impaci Protection System (SIPS) * 4- speed Electroni ‘Automatic Transmission * $ cylinder, 2.4 litre, 168hp Engine «Power Assisted Tit Steering * Aimi-lock Biaking Systm * Front-Whecl Drive Dual -coutrof, CFC-free Air Conditioning * Sépeeker, 80 watt AM/FM Cassette ~ Stereo with CD Capatility * Remote Entry and Security System ° Headlamp Wosher/wipers * Heated Seats * Power Locks and Windows + Power Heated Mirrors «. Cui Control » That's Volvo Vaiue? , Offer ends September 30, 1997 ‘SPECIALTY VOLVO 1235 Marine Drive, North Vancouver 986-2464 Bebb toms Abo rcpomren bit of that lateral thinking I ‘mentioned carlier. When can one expect people to be play- ing in a-playground? Anytime, of course, though less likely after dark. This is why a play- ‘ound is considered a zone om dawn to dusk every sin- gic day of the year. As long as there is daylight to burn, peo- ple — especialiy young people — are wont to play. How about school zones? It’s been my observation that school kids have very little desire to hang around the school yard on weekends. However, these same kids occasionally come to school ; early. for. any number of rea- Boulevard Park playground zone sign. sons and often stay late for ball practice or, as was a habit, of yours truly, for detention. So it makes perfect sense. thac while school oniy runs from roughly 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. a school zone is in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. But only on school days. Not weekends. Not Cheistmas Day. Not dur- ing summer holidays (though one could easily. ¢ that summer school Kes a sum- “met day a school ‘day. Bumm er.) 2 abi ¢ seemingly arbitrary lack of speed tabs fits in later- ally. quite literally. A driver will rarely face a Speed t tab in: an area where visibility is high, where he or she can see” from side to side and way out infront with ease. Or where the road is wide and all is | happy, playful, safe and j joyous — and tab free! There is nothin; , by the way, sopping us drivers from, slowing if we make things. safer by doing so, we have - after all, been warned to Friday, September 12, 1997 — North Shore News — 37 East Sth Struet playground zone sig Watch for people walking: about and playing. And & so it follows tixat we are more like’~ ly to sce speed tabs in areas of limited vision or where the very young are prone to dart- ing about randomly, cars and " placed i in any zone traffic’: ‘engineers and /or.comi planners decide slowing “1s safer for the general publi Peery straight forwar zones be damned.