ICBC reminding drivers to slow down as school zones return

Kids will be back in class on Tuesday, Sept. 6, and class being back in session also means that school zones are in effect.

The Insurance Corporation of B.C. (ICBC) is reminding drivers that every school day, unless otherwise posted, a 30-km per hour speed limit is in effect in school zones between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Playground areas also have a 30 km/h limit every day from dawn to dusk.

ICBC states that every year, five children are killed and 370 others are injured in crashes while walking or riding their bikes in B.C. In playground or school zones, there are 66 children injured by vehicle collisions annually.

In the Interior, there are on average two children killed and 38 others injured in crashes while walking or biking each year, including eight injuries occurring in school and playground zones.

ICBC did not have data for Vernon, but did state that 11 children are injured in crashes in Kelowna while waking or cycling, including two in playground or school zones, each year. Kamloops also sees an average of six children injured in crashes while walking or cycling each year.

Distracted driving is the leading factor for collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists.

The crown corporation reminds drivers to:

• Not speed in school and playground zones
• Leave the phone alone
• Watch for other drivers yielding to pedestrians at crosswalks
• Watch for school buses and to not pass buses when their lights are flashing
• Walk around vehicles before getting in to make sure kids are not playing around the vehicle
• Make sure headlights, brake lights and turn indicators are working and visible at all times
• Slow down in residential neighbourhoods where kids may be playing or walking

ICBC stated that police and Speed Watch volunteers will be out in school zones across the province to monitor driver’s speeds and behaviours when class is back in session.

In 2021, 6,500 tickets were handed out to drivers across the province for speeding in school and playground zones.

Additionally, ICBC has tips for parents and caregivers to remember with school resuming Tuesday.

• Kids getting dropped off should exit the vehicle on the side closes to the sidewalk
• Have a safe, regular route for kids to use when walking to and from school, and practice that route with the kids ahead of time
• Teach children the basics of crossing the street
  • Stop at the edge of the curb
  • Look left and right for oncoming vehicles and over the shoulder for turning vehicles
  • Make sure all vehicles have stopped and make eye contact with drivers before crossing, even if a walk signal is on
  • If the intersection is clear, keep an eye out for approaching vehicles when crossing
• Teach kids to walk on the inside edge of the sidewalk away from the road, or, in the case of being on a street without a sidewalk, to walk facing oncoming traffic
• Set a good example by not crossing mid-block or running to cross the street
• Teach kids to put electronic devices away when walking or cycling, including cell phones and earbuds
• Have kids wear bright clothes and reflective gear when out in the dark or in poor weather conditions