Students’ drawings depict distracted driving dangers
Cards range from ‘funny’ to ‘horrific’— it’s what the kids ‘are seeing on the road’
Distracted motorists were a hot topic at Deep Cove Elementary School as students illustrated the traffic issues that concern them.
“Lots of kids saying stop texting and driving,” said Sidney/North Saanich Cpl. Chris Manseau.
The students’ handiwork is being displayed on cards that will be handed out to motorists at school zones and Counter Attack road checks as part of the “Think of Me” campaign. The campaign was launched in 2016 at Lau, Welnew Tribal School, where failure to obey speed signs on West Saanich Road has been an ongoing concern.
“We go into the schools, we talk to the students and speak with them about the hazards that they see,” Manseau said.
“Even at their young ages, they know what good driving and bad driving is.”
Using electronic devices at the wheel, not signaling and not wearing seatbelts do not go unnoticed by children, he said.
The students have been given free rein in making their cards, Manseau said.
“Some of the cards are pretty funny, some of them are really touching, some of them are really horrific and graphic.”
The cards adds a “personal touch” when dealing with drivers, he said.
“This is what these Grade 3, 4, 5 kids are seeing on the road,” Manseau said.
“They’re going to be the next generation of drivers.”
Other schools are also involved in producing cards, which will be distributed in each school’s vicinity.
“So the cards that we pick up from Deep Cove, we’ll hand out to the drivers of Deep Cove,” Manseau said. The cards may or may not accompany a ticket. “The point is for it not to be punitive,” Manseau said. “Obviously, if somebody is causing an infraction then they’ll be charged appropriately, but we want to give these out to everybody for awareness.”