It’s a serious issue that has been recognized with the Provincial Government announcing that speeding in school zones will result in fines being doubled from a minimum of $100 for a first offence up to a maximum of $1,500. You can’t put a price on what safety is worth, but in a school zone it is priceless regardless of the fine a driver may incur.
Children are children and in school zones and bus stops you must keep your wits about you. It is the motoring public who has the primary responsibility to keep a watch out for children.
Young Drivers of Canada issued a press release recently where president Peter Christianson explained, “Younger children often lack the cognitive and physical skills to make safe decisions. In Canada, children aged 10 to 14 years have the highest incidence of pedestrian-related injuries, but a larger age range of children (five to 14 years) are at the greatest risk for pedestrian-related fatalities. As drivers, we can predict and prevent those collisions by driving defensively.”
Some tips from Young Drivers of Canada to keep in mind the next time you find yourself behind the wheel:
• Be aware of school zone signage.
• Reduce speed in school zones.
• Wait for children to complete their crossing before proceeding (they often change their minds).
• Stop at least 20 meters behind a school bus when the upper red lights begin to flash and until the flashing stops.
• Motorists travelling in both directions must stop for a school bus.
• If you are driving children to school, drop them off in a safe area away from traffic — most schools have designated drop off zones.
• Change lanes early for bicycles (they should be treated as another vehicle by giving them ample space). Be vigilant. Many kids ride skateboards, scooters or roller blades on the road so be prepared for a possible fall by providing extra space.
• Use the ground viewing technique to scan under parked cars for the feet of children approaching traffic.
• Always leave plenty of time to get to your destination — running late can cause aggressive driving behaviours.
• Avoid driver distractions such as cell phones, eating or drinking and personal grooming which take your focus off the road.
The Pilot
.jpg)
.jpg)
