With back to school right around the corner, some drivers in Squamish need to slow their roll — literally!
Too often, some of you all drive like a bat out of hell in school zones.
According to ICBC, in B.C., three children are killed, and 359 are injured in crashes while walking or cycling every year. About 50 children are injured in crashes yearly in school and playground zones.
Thus, the Crown corp reminds drivers to put the brakes on and keep in mind their driving Ps and Qs as sleeping students learn to navigate their school schedules again.
On school days in Squamish, unless otherwise posted, the 30 km/h speed limit is in effect from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
In playground zones, a 30 km/h speed limit is in effect every day from dawn to dusk.
Like a teenager offered a jacket on a rainy winter Squamish day, some local drivers seem to insist on seeing the speed limit as a suggestion; 30 km/h is the law.
Most of the rest of the ICBC advice is common sense, but it comes down to the fact that these are kids we are talking about — they are unpredictable creatures until they hit at least 20 years old, and some far beyond that.
For example, kids can dart out into the street at any time, even if their parents have drilled into them that they should not do this.
If a car stops in front of you or beside you, assume they are yielding to a backpack-toting pedestrian, and proceed with caution and be prepared to stop.
And for the love of your local bus driver’s blood pressure, remember that vehicles approaching the yellow and black student transporter from both directions must stop when their lights are flashing.
Also, avoid stopping or parking in designated No Parking areas to prevent parental fights and danger for students.
Letting go of our foot-loose and fancy-free summer vibe and embracing a back-to-school buttoned-up routine is hard enough for most of us. Let’s not add a heart-breaking and perhaps life-altering accident to that burden.
