Children have now returned to school, meaning many roads will be busier than usual; and both ICBC and the RCMP are urging drivers to take extra precautions and give themselves more time when driving before and after school. Drivers need to be focused on the road and watch for children, especially in or around school zones.
Every year, 370 children are injured in crashes while walking, cycling, or skateboarding, and six are killed throughout the province. In the Southern Interior, two children walking or cycling (aged five to 18) are killed and 43 are injured in crashes every year. In school and playground zones, 72 children are injured every year.
Parents are encouraged to review the rules of the road with their children and go over their daily route to and from school. ICBC has a child pedestrian safety tip sheet (http://bit.ly/2vZNEvQ) that parents can refer to and/or print off and review with their children. Tips include planning a daily route; making sure your children understand the meaning of road signs along their route; showing them where to walk if there is no sidewalk; and reviewing crosswalk safety.
Students should also be encouraged to stay unplugged during the walk to and from school. Keep electronic gadgets stowed away and refrain from the use of ear buds or headphones, so that focus can be kept on the road and what is going on.
Drivers are reminded that every school day, unless otherwise posted, a 30 km/h speed limit is in effect in school zones from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Vehicles approaching school buses from either direction must stop when the bus lights are flashing. The fine for passing a school bus with its lights flashing is $368, plus three demerit points.
When parents are dropping off their children in school zones, they should let them exit the vehicle on the side closest to the sidewalk, not into the road. Never allow a child to cross mid-block. If a vehicle is stopped in front of you or in the lane next to you, they may be yielding to a pedestrian, so proceed with caution and be prepared to stop.
Parents should also set a good example while driving, and leave the phone alone; not just when running the kids to school, but all the time. Distracted driving now kills more people in B.C. than impaired driving.
