School is back, and so are the kids on our roads
With another school year underway across the Peace, those quieter summer mornings around our schools are gone for another year and drivers are once again sharing the road with school buses, young pedestrians, bicycles and plenty of parents making the morning drop-off.
It doesn't take long for those routines to come back, but police recently reminded drivers that September is also a good time to slow things down a little, leave the phone alone and start watching again for kids who may not always be watching for you.
“Back to school safety is the responsibility of everyone on the road, but drivers must remember this is a very exciting time for students. Their eagerness to get to school may block out their concern for safety,” said Cpl. Jennifer Cooper, Media Relations Officer for Prince George RCMP.
School zones in B.C. are generally limited to 30 kilometres per hour between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on regular school days, unless signs show otherwise, and after a couple months of summer it is probably worth getting used to watching that speedometer again.
School buses are back out on northern roads too, something most of us haven't had to think much about over the summer. When those red lights come on, drivers need to stop, no matter which direction they're travelling.
For parents, especially those with younger kids making their way back to school, police are suggesting another run through some of the basics, sticking to crosswalks, watching for traffic and keeping the phones or headphones away while they're walking or riding.
Cooper said drivers have their own part in that, especially around schools where mornings and afternoons can get busy in a hurry.
“It is up to drivers on the road to make sure they are paying extra attention in and around school zones: put down your phone, turn down the music and focus on what is around you,” said Cooper.
Bikes and electric kick scooters are part of the trip for some students too, although there are a few more rules to remember when it comes to e-scooters.
In B.C., electric kick scooter riders must be at least 16 years old and wear an approved helmet. They can't carry a passenger or use a cellphone or other electronic device while riding either.
Where they can actually be ridden is another thing families need to check, as public-road use is governed through B.C.'s electric kick scooter pilot project and participating communities can have additional local rules.
For everyone else behind the wheel, it doesn't take much to make those busy school mornings a little safer. Leave a few minutes earlier, expect things to be busy around the schools and watch for the kid who might be thinking more about getting to class than looking both ways.
There are a lot more young people moving around our streets again this month, whether they're walking, riding a bike, getting dropped off or climbing on and off the school bus.
For the next little while, until everyone gets used to those school-day routines again, taking an extra second around them certainly doesn't hurt.
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