With kids heading back to school this week, police are giving Vancouver drivers a lesson in slowing down.

Police will be paying particular attention to school zones this fall, and they are urging drivers to do the same.

Sgt. Paul Ballard says that it's crucial to slow down in school zones and obey the speed limit of 30 kilometres per hour from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, unless otherwise posted.

"Watch for crosswalks and be on the lookout for kids riding to school on their bikes," he said.

Traffic officers and Speed Watch volunteers will be increasing their presence in congested school zones this fall and police will be hitting offenders in their pocketbooks. The minimum fine for speeding in a school zone is $196.

West Vancouver Traffic Sgt. Tim Kravjanski told ctvbc.ca he caught a driver going 65 km/h in a school zone and another talking on his cell phone on Tuesday morning. Both were issued tickets.

With police working to punish violators, there are also efforts aimed at prevention, such as Preventable.ca's 3-D hologram in West Vancouver.

The optical illusion of a young girl chasing after a ball onto 22nd Street near Ecole Pauline Johnson cost $15,000, and was installed Tuesday morning for a week-long run.

Kravjanski says that's just in time to remind drivers that school is back and they need to slow down.

"The 3-D girl launched this morning and so far, so good," he said. "There were no collisions or people slamming on their brakes. She appears very gradually. The feedback ranges from people calling it a waste of money to people hoping that it works."

Kravjanski also noted that driving laws in B.C. are changing this fall. As of Sept. 20, if a driver gets caught excessively speeding - defined at going 41 kilometres per hour or more over the speed limit - the car will be impounded for seven days and tickets start at $368.

The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia warns that dangerous driving injures thousands of children a year, with September and October being particularly deadly.

"Sadly, car crashes are still the number one preventable cause of death for youth in B.C.," says Jill Blacklock, spokesperson for ICBC.

"Every year in B.C., there are 16,655 crashes involving children aged five to 18, resulting in 5,350 injuries and 36 deaths, including child pedestrians, cyclists and vehicle passengers."

To reduce injuries and deaths due to motor-vehicle accidents, police are urging drivers to pay attention, follow the law, and to stop using cell phones while driving.

ICBC says pedestrians should use caution in crosswalks, dress to be seen, and remove headphones while crossing the street.