Sharpen Up Your Driving Habits In Preparation for Back to School
Friday, August 31, 2012 @ 3:57 AM
Prince George, B.C.- It’s that time of the year again, when drivers are being reminded to get back into the habit of obey school zones.
School Zones
School Zones will be in effect from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on all school days and the speed limit for School Zones is 30 km/h, unless otherwise posted. Fines for disobeying the speed limit begin at $196, but the cost of injuring a child would be far greater.
Unlike School Zones, Playground Zones are in effect everyday of the year, from dawn to dusk.
School Buses
According to Provincial law, it is prohibited to e (pass) a school bus that is displaying red flashing lights. Drivers must stop and wait for the bus driver to load or offload children AND disengage the signal lights, before proceeding. The fine for Failing to Stop for a School Bus is $167.
School Guard or School Patrol
There are a number of schools in the Prince George area that employ school crossing guards along some of our busiest roads. Please be on the lookout for these safety guards and be sure to stop for them when requested, as it is the law in BC. The fine for Failing to Obey a School Guard or School Patrol is $167.
The Prince George RCMP offer these tips to students and drivers:
Tips for Students:
- Use designated crossing points and follow crossing signals where available;
- Remove headphones from music players when crossing the road;
- When crossing major roads, make sure that all lanes of traffic have stopped before walking across. Often drivers in the middle lanes don’t see pedestrians;
- Make eye contact with the drivers before stepping out onto crosswalks;
- Dress to be seen – daylight hours are decreasing, so wear brighter colours or reflective material whenever possible;
- Walk on the sidewalk, or if unavailable, walk on the side of the road facing the traffic;
- Walk well lit routes with less traffic;
- Always be aware of your surroundings.
Tips for Drivers:
- Plan ahead, leave earlier to allow yourself extra time through School Zones;
- Be alert to children near or around crosswalks and intersections;
- If a vehicle in a different lane slows or stops in front of you, slow down or stop and ensure that no one is on the crosswalk before proceeding;
- Always yield to pedestrians;
- When dropping off children in a School Zone, ensure you do so in a safe place where the children can exit onto a side walk. Please don’t stop in the travel portion of the road and hurry your children out.
The Prince George RCMP will be conducting awareness and zero tolerance enforcement campaigns in School Zones throughout the month of September.
The beginning of the school year is a time when children are at an increased risk of transportation related injuries from pedestrian, bicycle, school bus and motor vehicle collisions. Many more children are on the road each morning and afternoon, and it demands that all drivers change their driving habits and be vigilant.
"The safety of children in Prince George is not only the responsibility of their parents, but the responsibility of every driver on our roads" states acting Sgt. Wayne Connell, of the Prince George RCMP’s Municipal Traffic Services Section. "The police have an obligation to ensure drivers are doing their part".
Did you know?
It takes a vehicle 13 metres to come to a complete stop when driving 30 km/h, but 27 metres – more than double that distance, when driving 50 km/h?
Comments
Sharpen your driving habits period! Why wait for back to school? And turn off your stupid cell phones!
Tips aren’t going to help when you consider that the average PG driver is a complete idiot.
Average Driver: “My driving skills are above average. That’s why I can text, eat, have my dog on my lap and speed without getting into an “accident”. I can drink and drive too. Others just don’t have the skill that I do”.
Most drivers in PG (BC) would be average drivers, so I guess we are all idiots.
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