BCAA urges parents to educate themselves on school zone road rules

As many kids head back to school next week, BCAA is reminding parents to educate themselves when it comes to road rules and school zones.

Director of Community Engagement for BCAA, Shawn Pettipas said “during those crazy drop off and pick up times, if you think about it, there are a lot of people trying to drop their kids at the exact same time or pick up their kids at the exact same time.”

Pettipas added, “as you drive through parks or in school zones, just pay a little extra attention.”

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But he said it’s not just speeding that’s a problem.

“Not stopping for crosswalks, driving aggressively, dropping their kids off in unsafe places even checking their phones behind the wheel,” said Pettipas.

In a recent survey, 80 per cent of respondents said they saw these types of behaviors while parents were dropping their kids off at school, adding that hostile behaviors have also posed a problem.

“Behaviors such as honking or swearing has jumped in the last year from 51 per cent to 66 per cent of our respondents having seen that happen in a school zone,” he said.

Pettipas said BCAA is urging parents to give themselves extra time to and from school to avoid feeling rushed during the morning and afternoon commute.