Road safety urged as kids head back to school
Posted Aug 31, 2021 1:20 pm.
CALGARY — As kids head back to class, it means a lot of busy streets outside of schools, and tons of students hopping out of cars and buses — which can sometimes cause issues for drivers trying to get through the area.
“The speed limits in Calgary have reduced to 40 (km/h), for school zones it actually hasn’t changed, it’s still at 30 (km/h). So, around schools, it’s the same things as we always say, make sure you’re taking those extra moments to make sure everyone is safe at the crosswalk,” said Eva Friedly, the coordinator for AMA School Safety Patrol.
Friedly adds kids who are using the crosswalk for the first time should remember the “Point, Pause, Proceed” technique to make sure they can cross the street safely.
WATCH: SafeStreets Calgary demonstrate how children can use “Point, Pause, Proceed” to help them cross the street safely.
Another problem when school rolls around is people parking too close to the crosswalk when dropping kids off.
“We want to make sure we’re staying well back away from any crosswalks,” said Cst. Gary Hartmann. “My message I would say is please, if you can, walk, park a few blocks away, and don’t even bring your car near the school if you can avoid it, that would be the best.”
Hartmann says he knows how hectic it can be trying to get the kids to school on time, but asks parents to put safety ahead of convenience and have a plan before heading out.
