Deb Hann
The school holidays seem to have flown by and here we are at the end of January.
Deb Hann
It is therefore time for some safety reminders about the return to school.
The start of term 1 will see an increase in traffic on the roads – cars, buses and bicycles. This additional traffic is especially focussed around schools during drop off and pick up times. For this reason, along with the increased presence of children and young people on the road, speed zones around schools are reduced.
While my driving messages always advise to keep to the speed limit and have patience, this is particularly true for school environs. Keep an eye on school bus movements and be aware of children getting on and off. Children are not as road-wise as adults. They can be impulsive and unpredictable in their movements.
If dropping your child off at school, park legally – yellow lines are there to prevent parking in areas that can limit a driver’s visibility around intersections and crossings. Encourage your children to use pedestrian crossings and to walk, not run across the road. If your child is biking to school, ensure they know the road rules and use cycleways where provided. Remind them to watch out for other road and shared pathway users and to signal their turns. Dismounting when crossing a pedestrian crossing ensures cars have time to react and stop to allow your child to cross safely. A helmet, besides being a legal requirement, is a key safety feature reducing the risk of a concussion or traumatic brain injury in the event that your child falls off or is in a crash. Helmets are ineffective when left at home, hanging from the handlebars or straps aren’t done up.
A bike lock to secure the bike at school can prevent thefts. If walking or biking, ensure your child is familiar with the safest route to take to school. If they are doing it for the first time, complete a few practice runs with them so you can help them to recognise and handle any situations that arise. If your child is catching a bus, remind them about safe ways to enter and disembark, looking for cars on the road. They also need to be aware of what is responsible and appropriate behaviour on the bus so as not to cause damage, harm to others nor to distract the driver.
If everyone follows these reminders, we will all have a safe start to the school year.
Cambridge Middle School student, Jakob Robbers in front of the School’s bike racks.
