School-zone traffic safety reminders issued for the new school year

As the new school year begins, ICBC is reminding drivers and pedestrians to remain alert and prioritize traffic safety while travelling to and from school. Unless otherwise posted, school zones have a 30 km/h speed limit from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on every school day. Playground zones have a 30 km/h limit every day from dawn to dusk.

Drivers must stop when approaching a school bus with flashing lights, regardless of direction. A stopped vehicle ahead or in an adjacent lane may be yielding to a pedestrian, so drivers should proceed cautiously and be prepared to stop. ICBC advises drivers to avoid phone use, watch for children walking, cycling or riding scooters, and check around their vehicle for children before getting in. Drivers should also look for pedestrians while reversing and ensure headlights, brake lights and turn signals are clear, visible and working properly. In crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists, distraction is the leading factor for drivers.

In residential neighbourhoods, motorists should slow down and watch for children who may enter the street unexpectedly, including where signs of play such as a ball or hockey net are visible. Pedestrians should cross only at marked crosswalks or where a crossing guard is present, follow crossing-guard instructions, and avoid jaywalking or crossing when they do not have the right of way.

Before entering the road, pedestrians should stop at the curb or roadside, look left and right for traffic, then look back over their left shoulder for turning vehicles. They should ensure vehicles have stopped, make eye contact with drivers before crossing and continue watching for approaching traffic. Pedestrians are advised to walk along the inside edge of a sidewalk, away from the road; where there is no sidewalk, they should face oncoming traffic. Traffic lights and signals should be functioning and active before crossing.

People walking, cycling or riding scooters should stay aware of their surroundings, listen for traffic and scan for approaching vehicles. Bright clothing and reflective gear can improve visibility to drivers at night and in poor weather.

Parents and caregivers should have children enter and exit vehicles on the side closest to the sidewalk. They should not stop in no-parking or no-stopping zones or block crosswalks, which can obstruct drivers’ view of children. ICBC also encourages adults to model safe behaviour by using intersections with pedestrian signals or marked crosswalks where possible and avoiding shortcuts through parking lots or around parked vehicles, where small children are harder for drivers to see. The City of Richmond has also provided school-zone traffic safety postcard resources.