Slow down and take your time, police chief says
With students back in class, Truro Police Service is reminding drivers to think ahead and take it slow.
School started Thursday for students in the Chignecto-Central school district, which means morning commuters will have to keep an eye out for young travellers and school buses.
“Road safety is a shared responsibility,” said Truro Chief David MacNeil.
“With school going back, traffic becomes an issue, so we ask drivers to give themselves more time when they are leaving in the morning and plan for traffic and pedestrians. Keep in mind during the first few weeks, people are going to be rushing, so slow down and take your time.”
Aside from traffic delays, drivers will also have to rework their morning and afternoon routes as road restrictions come back into effect, including the “no right turn” restrictions at the Lorne and Queen streets intersection.
The restriction has been in place for over a decade, and helps keep students crossing the street safe while also allowing for traffic to flow smoothly.
“Cars turning right create a safety hazard for kids waiting to cross Lorne Street,” said MacNeil. “We don’t want cars cutting them off at red lights and making it dangerous for them. Another issue is if someone is waiting for a chance to turn right, it creates a large backup of traffic behind them.”
While ignoring the sign creates dangerous conditions for students crossing the road, drivers who are caught doing so could also receive a $180 fine and two demerit points on their license.
Although drivers are the biggest safety factor around this time of year, the children themselves should be educated on safety as well.
“In town a lot of kids walk to school, so we ask that parents talk to their children about walking safely and using sidewalks,” said MacNeil.
“Make sure they know to use crosswalks, preferably ones with crossing guards, and don’t run out between parked cars into the road. Kids also shouldn’t play at bus stops. If they push or shove each other, they can fall out into the road or in front of cars.
“Simply teaching them basic safety rules will help keep them safe.”