CAA School Safety Patrollers teach parents a lesson

LONDON, ON, Sept. 30 /CNW/ - Heavy traffic and children don't mix. In today's hectic world, school children often face dangerous traffic situations which increase their chances of being involved in a collision. Without realizing it, parents can add to those dangers.

Today, CAA School Safety Patrollers and London Police officers conducted traffic spot checks targeting unsafe drivers near school zones. Offenders received a safety lecture and a mock ticket from the patrollers who help get children to and from school safely every day.

Some of the bad driving habits by parents include double parking or stopping on crosswalks and loading or unloading children on the opposite side of the street from the school or bus which forces children to cross a busy street.

Parents occasionally stop in moving traffic, expecting their child to get out and scramble to the sidewalk or bus stop.

Sometimes, parents deliberately block the path of a school bus to keep their child from missing the bus and being late for school. Others have even driven beside a school bus, honking their horn and waving frantically at the driver to stop - in some cases to deliver a forgotten lunch.

"CAA encourages a safe start and end to the school day by reducing traffic dangers for children," said Breanna Gaudet, Community Relations Specialist, CAA South Central Ontario.

Here's how you can help minimize traffic dangers:

• A good alternative, and healthy one, is walking your child to school.
• Form a carpool with neighbours to reduce the number of cars going to and from school.
• Work with school officials to establish a designated location where parents can pick up and drop off children.
• Comply with the speed limit in school zones.
• Support the School Safety Patrol program in your child's school.

CAA South Central Ontario is a not-for-profit auto club offering insurance, travel, automotive care and roadside services. There are more than 1.8 million CAA members in South Central Ontario and 5 million members in Canada. We're more than Roadside Assistance. We're Life-side Assistance. Visit www.caasco.com.

For further information:

Media contact: Silvana Aceto, Media and PR Specialist, CAA SCO, [email protected], Office: [phone], Cell: [phone] or Jeff LeMoine, Internal/External PR Specialist, [email protected], Office: [phone], Cell: [phone].