Police are encouraging drivers to be more cautious of the increased pedestrian and bicycle traffic expected beginning today, as children return to school.

As Deputy Chief Brent VanDeSype with the Weyburn Police Service points out, kids aren't always watching for cars.

"They're gonna have a lot in their mind, they're going to be excited," he noted. "They're going to be thinking probably about a lot of other things other than watching for traffic, crossing at the crosswalks, and things like that. So I think it's really important for the motorists to be aware."

He said even if you are driving the speed limit, only going 30 kilometres an hour, or even slower depending on the congestion of the traffic, a distracted child could still jump out in front of your car, seemingly out of nowhere.

"So be prepared, be alert, drive safely, and just watch for kids," he advised. "And you know, it may not be in the school zone. It might be two blocks or four blocks away from the school zone that there's a young student that just bolts across the road, so be alert all over." 

VanDeSype said the kids could be distracted, especially, "if they're chatting with their friends and not paying attention, or if they've got their heads down because they're looking at their phones." 

"Whenever there's an incident involving a vehicle and pedestrian, the vehicle wins every time." 

Congested traffic is to be expected, especially on the first day of school, but, VanDeSype said, "Weyburn isn't that big a place, so if you have to drive a little bit more slowly or cautiously, it might put you behind a minute or two to get to your work, but it's very key, to be alert, be patient."