Motorists stopped by community police officers around École Oriole Park School on Monday got a pleasant surprise.
Instead of tickets, they received handmade cards with road and traffic safety messages.
The Safe Communities Central Alberta program reminds drivers of safety around schools.
“Speed limits, watching out for kids and all the other road safety rules, that’s the goal” said Richard Hornby, the organization’s executive director.
He hopes the student-made cards strike a chord.
“It gives that personal touch. Every card was hand-drawn at that school.”
Each card’s back has a sticker of school zone times.
Windshield vinyl cling cards with those times and impaired driving warning reminders were also distributed.
The program was tested at G.W. Smith Elementary last year and has been used around schools in Stettler and Olds. The peak after-school time of 2:45 to 3:15 p.m. gets the highest number of drivers.
Safe Communities and AMA volunteers also hand out the cards.
The program moves to G.W. Smith Elementary today, Glendale Sciences and Technology School on Wednesday and Annie L. Gaetz Elementary on Thursday.