I was transported back in time this week. It’s back to school for thousands of kids in Vancouver, and the squeals of excitement and smell of grass on the school field of Jules Quesnel Elementary School reminded me of the anticipation and anxiety I felt when I was in their shoes 100 years ago. As I attempted to snap some pics of the ebullient youth as they crossed the street, I recalled the tragic traffic fatality of a young girl in downtown Vancouver two weeks ago.
It was sad realities like this that brought officials, including Mayor Gregor Robertson, to this first day of school to tell the public to be mindful of those who are vulnerable on our streets. I’m sure the driver of the truck didn’t think he’d plow into a mother and child that day. But at the same time, most people don’t think that taking their eyes of the road for a second to change the song on the car stereo or turn around to try quiet their screaming kids will result in something awful.
And at the same time, I certainly wasn’t thinking about looking both ways at the corner when I was in grade school and my friends across the street were urging me to j-walk. So I ask myself and you the question: which distractions are harmless, and which are avoidable?
written by Robert Willis
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I don’t think there are really any harmless distractions – but especially texting while driving is bad.
One other thing that is dangerous during the back to school time is when parents pick up and drop off their kids outside the schools. Often times, drivers don’t pull over properly before letting their kids out, or they pull back into the lane of traffic with no notice. It also creates backlogs and cars misaligned on the road, making it hard to see other kids crossing or getting out of vehicles. Drivers should communicate properly by signaling and pull over and into traffic only when appropriate.
I’ve seen far too many ‘close accidents’ where drivers are speeding in school zones. There is a reason why the speed limit within a school zone is only 30 km/hour, as cars need to be at a lower speed to stop in time. When driving at a higher speed, it takes that much longer to stop in time.
What penalties are associated with speeding in a school speed zone with British Columbia?
A speed limit of 30 km/h applies while within a school speed zone.
The penalties for speeding in a school speed zone are:
Between 31 – 50 km/h, $196 fine is issued
Between 51 – 70 km/h, $253 fine is issued
Between 71 – 90 km/h, $368 fine is issued
Greater than 90 km/h, $483 fine is issued
For all fines, 3 driver penalty points are applied.
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