Back to school in September became a tough lesson for some Saskatchewan drivers caught speeding in a school zone.

Police in the province issued 673 school zone speeding tickets last month. That is less than half the number who were ticketed last year in September. Going 20 km/h over the speed limit in a school zone is a $310 ticket plus three demerits.

Five tickets were also issued to drivers for failing to yield to a pedestrian at an intersection or crosswalk. That is a $230 ticket plus three demerits. And one person was ticketed for failing to stop five metres from a school bus when safety lights were in operation which is $360 ticket and four demerits.

In addition to school zone tickets issued in September, there were 451 impaired driving offences, 660 distracted driving tickets, 414 tickets issued in conjunction with seatbelts, car seats or booster seats and 6,977 speeding or aggressive driving tickets – this is over and above the school zone speeding tickets handed out.