The Surrey RCMP is reminding residents to be safe on the roads as kids start returning to school in the coming days.
Mounties say the start of the school year is the perfect time to review and practice pedestrian road safety strategies.
They’re reminding pedestrians to use designated crosswalks and follow crossing signals.
Drivers are reminded to slow down in school zones where the 30-kilometre an-hour limit is in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Other advice to drivers includes:
- Leave yourself extra time to get through school zones. Drop-off and pick-up times can be especially busy and congested.
- Focus on the road by putting away electronic devices and other distractions.
- Be alert for youngsters walking to and from school as you back out of your driveway or leave your parking garage.
- When dropping off or picking up children at school, ensure you do so in a safe place where the children can exit onto a sidewalk.
Mounties are also reminding drivers that it’s illegal to pass a stopped school bus — in either direction — when it’s flashing red lights. In Surrey, failure to stop for a school bus signal can result in a $368 fine.
ICBC says 53 pedestrians are killed and more than 2,300 injured by vehicles, on average, in B.C. each year.