Mounties are offering some safety tips as kids head back to school Tuesday.
Comox Valley RCMP Constable Rob Gardner says it’s important that parents teach their kids the rules of the road. He says that drivers need to also make sure they pay extra attention on their commute to work, and watch out for school buses.
“When you come up to a school bus with the red lights flashing or the stop sign out, you have to stop. It doesn’t matter what direction – if you’re behind the bus, coming toward the front of the bus – you have to stop. If you don’t stop it’s a $368 fine. If you don’t stop and a child darts out from in front of the bus, the worst case scenario is they get hit and that’s a horrible situation.”
Gardner adds that, “school zones haven’t been used for the summer but you have to remember that a few of them are Park zones. Park zones are in effect from dawn until dusk and they’re always in effect every day of the week but the ones that are marked as ‘school zones’ haven’t been used for all summer. They’re back in and they’re going to be going from 8 AM until 5 PM.”
He says if you are caught speeding in a school zone, you will be fined.
Meanwhile, ICBC’s Colleen Woodger says if kids are biking, skateboarding or rollerblading to school it’s important to always wear a helmet.
“You also want to make sure that you get off the bike, the scooter or skateboard when you cross the street to show that you have full intention [to cross].”
Numbers from ICBC show that 370 children are injured in crashes each year in BC, while 72 are injured each year in school and playground zones.
