The city of Coquitlam is warning drivers to slow down as school zone bylaws kick in, limiting vehicles to 30 kilometres per hour between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on school days.
Most of Coquitlam School District’s 30,000-plus students are expected to head back to class Thursday, Sept. 10, as schools prepare for full-time lessons for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down public life in March.
“Coquitlam’s Bylaw Enforcement team will be monitoring parking in areas around local schools,” a spokesperson for the city said in a statement.
Bylaw officers are urging drivers to obey both speed limits and restrictions around no parking and no stopping areas. Distracted driving is another concern, especially with an increase in students walking and riding bikes to school.
Finally, pick-up and drop-off locations around schools are designed to keep students off the road, and parents or guardians are urged to use them as many schools move to a staggered bell schedule.
Bylaw officers are also asking pedestrians to do their part in ensuring road safety. That means such simple measures as stopping at the curb, looking for oncoming vehicles and waiting for vehicles to come to a complete stop before crossing.
“Don’t jaywalk,” “put away electronic devices” and “wear bright clothes or reflective gear to help increase your visibility,” recommended the city in its statement.
The city of Coquitlam is not the only body warning drivers to exercise caution behind the wheel.
Shawn Pettipas of the British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA) noted in a statement that "Back to school is stressful enough at the best of times and these aren't the best of times.”
In a poll last year, the regional not-for-profit automobile association found 80% of parents in British Columbia felt speeding in school zones was an issue. A further 73% reported drivers not stopping at stop walks and over half (56%) said they witnessed at least one near miss of a vehicle colliding with a child.
This year, new bell times could mean less congestion, but also longer peak times, noted BCAA in a statement.
“If anything, there may be more road safety issues as parents navigate all the changes and anxiety that come with returning to school in the COVID-era,” wrote a spokesperson for the organization.
As students head back to school, BCAA recommends parents and students to build extra time into their schedules to avoid rushing, to be “patient and courteous” and to expect the unexpected, such as kids darting out from behind a parked car.
Better yet, leave the car at home and consider walking or biking to school. If you have to drive, why not park couple of blocks away and walk the last few hundred metres, suggests the organization.
