BCAA

roadside drive smart 32 bca a .com fall 2015 iStock What motorists, parents and kids can do to ensure school zones don't turn into danger zones BY RoB Howatson Back to School it's no wonder that pedestrian incidents are a leading cause of injury-related death for Canadian children under the age of 14. and, not surprisingly, most child pedestrian- related injuries occur in september and october, when the learning curve for academia rush hour is steepest. But it doesn't have to be that way, says Mark donnelly, BCaa's director of Community impact: "The problem is not complex if everyone who uses roads around schools plays their small but important role in maintaining traffic safety." BCaa does its part in local communities by offering its school safety Patrol Program for free to elementary schools across the province. students from grades 5 to 7 learn to properly direct children and their families as they cross roadways at or near schools. "The key to the long-running program's success is the way that it engages all the different stakeholders," says donnelly. "The student patrollers develop a sense of responsibility and leadership, and become role models for younger pupils. The school staff welcome the traffic-calming effect of kids in high-visibility vests and the way that the program fosters closer ties with the neighbouring community." as another tool that will help keep B.C. kids safer by the roadside, watch for an increase in BCaa's "slow down, Kids Playing" signs on residents' front yards. Want to do your part? The signs are free to Members from your local BCaa service Location* while quantities last. *Slow Down, Kids Playing signs not available at BCAA's Prince George Service Location. T wice a day the streets around schools fill with cars, and the logistical challenge of dropping off or picking up kids begins to teeter out of control like an action-movie chase scene. Commuters speed, impatient drivers pull brazen U-turns and groggy children with cellphones Candy Crush blithely through crosswalks. sChooL Zone safeTy FOR DRIVERS: • Expect the unexpected. Always check for pedestrians when you're backing up, and be aware that kids could be present on any side of the vehicle. • Let kids out on the side of the car closest to the sidewalk when dropping them off at school. • Do not pass school buses when their red lights are flashing – the lights warn that children are loading and unloading. FOR PARENTS • Teach your kids to find a safe place to cross the road – such as patrolled, marked or light-controlled crosswalks. Make sure they understand that they are sometimes impossible for a driver to see. Teach kids to always look both ways and make eye contact with drivers before they cross the street. • Make it a rule for kids to stay off their cellphones or electronic devices while crossing the street – make sure they focus on the road and surrounding environment. • Teach your kids to look out for parked cars – vehicles may pull out or start moving when they don't expect it. Find more school zone safety tips at bcaa.com/road-safety n

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