Child safety must become a priority

Re Urge kids to walk or bike to school, Letters, Jan. 18

Has anyone recently walked a child to elementary school? I do it often with my grandchildren. I live on a long and busy street with two schools, a church, a sports complex and crosswalks for another two schools. It has become a mix of industrial and commercial businesses and residential neighbourhoods. Many people walk along the sidewalks — or attempt to do so. Crosswalk guards have to cope with dangerous drivers and close incidents daily.

Sidewalk clearing is the responsibility of the homeowners and many try to do so after a fresh snowfall. But city snowplows clear the street by throwing all the snow onto the sidewalk, leaving large heavy chunks of snow and ice on the sidewalks, making them impassible. Pedestrians have no choice but to walk on the road.

There is no concern for pedestrians. Child safety for walking to school is not even on the radar. Community and political attitudes must change to make child safety a priority. Iva MacCausland, Woodstock, Ont. The tragic death of Camila Torcato has raised a plethora of questions and issues about the safety of students during school drop off and pick up, as well as pedestrian safety in general.

One simple thing would almost certainly have prevented this death: the use of the parking brake by the driver of the SUV.

People do not typically use their parking brakes, especially in cars with automatic transmissions. Drivers of manual transmissions seem more likely to employ them, but all drivers should use them, every time they park. It could prevent a similar tragedy. Lillian Menzies, Aurora