Speed Watch volunteers converge near Snine Elementary to remind drivers to slow down

“It’s a new school zone in our community and we thought, ‘What a great way to remind folks of the school zones that are now in effect.'”

Sandro Piroddi, the City of Kamloops’ crime prevention coordinator, told CFJC Today the education-first approach also allows volunteers the chance to speak directly to kids and parents.

“We’re out here just saying hi and telling them to be safe, giving them a reflector and telling them, ‘We’re sharing the road with motorists and pedestrians and people on bikes and little scooters and skateboards,'” Piroddi said.

“We’ve had some accidents in the Southeast District and I think the majority of the public are happy we’re our there and reminding people to be safe.”

This week’s event comes as ICBC data from the past five years shows 39 children across the Southern Interior are injured in crashes while walking or cycling to or from school. The data also shows a greater risk in September, when crashes involving minors are 37 per cent higher than the monthly average.

“The return to school means more children and families will be travelling on our roads, often during busy morning and afternoon commutes,” Kathleen Nadalin, ICBC’s road safety manager, said in a statement.

“Children can be unpredictable around traffic, which is why drivers need to slow down, eliminate distractions, and be especially cautious near schools and playgrounds. School zone speed limits are in place to protect our most vulnerable road users, and every driver has a responsibility to help keep students safe throughout the entire school year.”

Snine Elementary principal Rosie Caputo says it was a busy first week of classes as staff and students settle in to the new facility. She also urged caution and said the speed watch event is a good reminder to raise awareness about the new school zone.

“You never know when a child is riding a bike and something catches their attention and they drive off the sidewalk. We want to make sure everybody is aware there are kids around,” Caputo said, noting there has been a push to try and get more people to walk and bike to the new school.

“Our parking lot isn’t huge so it’s a great opportunity to leave that for people who have mobility issues or the odd pick-up and drop-off,” Caputo said. “It’s great to see everybody walking in every day as much as possible and when we can with these beautiful days.”

School zone speed limits are 30 km/h and they’re in effect between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday until June next year, unless signs say otherwise. Speed Watch volunteers plan to make their way to all of the other school zones in Kamloops over the next several weeks to spread awareness.

“As we start our second week of school, people have hopefully settled in to their schedules and routines and we’re just bringing some road safety awareness,” Napier said.

“We thought we would show this area in particular [first] as it is a new school zone.”

by Victor Kaisar

Speed Watch volunteers converge near Snine Elementary to remind drivers to slow down

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