Because getting an A-plus starts with getting there safely.
Well, school is back next week—and with that comes a whole new morning routine for parents, kids, school buses and, of course, everybody else on the road. I sat down with Oxford OPP Community Safety and Media Engagement Officer Randi Crawford to talk about back-to-school safety - and I started with a question that produced a slightly different answer than I expected.
Officer Crawford talked about the biggest back-to-school safety issue:
That makes sense. Parents are adjusting their schedules, kids are adjusting to getting up earlier - and suddenly, everybody is trying to get somewhere at the same time. But patience isn't the only thing that can disappear during that morning rush. So, I asked Officer Crawford about another big one: distraction:
It's a good reminder that distraction doesn't necessarily come with a cellphone in your hand. Sometimes it's simply what's happening inside your own car. Then, there's speed. Officer Crawford says it seems to be the thing drivers consistently get wrong in school zones:
There's a distinction there that drivers don't often consider: the speed limit is actually the maximum. It doesn't mean you have to drive that speed when there are buses, cars, kids and a whole lot of stopping and starting around you. And, speaking of buses, I wanted to make sure the rule hadn't changed since I was a kid, and Officer Crawford says it indeed has not changed:
Twenty metres - and make sure to pay attention to those lights. Yellow means the bus is preparing to stop. When those red lights are flashing, that's your stop sign, whether the stop arm is out or not. However, not every kid is getting on a bus. Some are walking. Some are riding their bikes.
So what should motorists - and parents - be thinking about?:
What may be the most important thing to remember - is that kids are still learning. They can get excited, they can make mistakes - and drivers need to be prepared for that possibility.
The Oxford OPP is also putting some extra attention on all of this with Operation Safe Start, beginning next week:
The initiative runs September 8th through the 11th, and again September 14th through the 18th. I really like the reason Officer Crawford says they're talking about it now: After two months without school buses, drivers have to get that back-to-school routine back into their heads. Leave a little earlier. Give yourself some extra time. Take the stress out of the morning before you even get behind the wheel.
And, yes, the OPP will be keeping track of what happens during Safe Start:
That's the goal of the OPP. Not tickets. Not warnings. Safety.
After talking about patience, distraction, speed, school buses, kids walking and cycling, and getting used to that new morning routine...I wanted to give Officer Randi Crawford the last word, so I asked her for one final message for everybody heading into the new school year:
There's a back-to-school message everyone can get behind: Drive for the A-plus.
And, if you get a few bonus points for getting everybody there - and back - safely.... even better.
by John Biggs
