I used to dread this
time of year, but now
I quite like it: this, the
time of year that
school aged students
go back to school.

Ah yes, no more clut-
tered malls or coffee shops,
beaches or parks; movie
houses near empty in the
matinec hours; less rookie
drivers on the road in the
daytime.

. Don’t get me wrong, |
like school kids as much as
the next perscn; T just like it
better when they’re_ nat
around. ° mes

There’s a downside; -
though. The school season. °

_ (the nice looonnnng school
season) brings with it
moments of treinendous
congestion on the roadways. ©
Specifically, that pre-9 a.m.

.and post-2 p.m. period -.
when students are making
their way to and from
schooi. |
. -Fortunately, these swarms
‘have their place in the grand

. traffic scheme of things:
~-. sidewalks and crosswalks.

“» “Technically, anyway.

_ “The. only problems left to
ai with are the bonehead ..
drivers who don’t know a.
“crosswalk from a pothole. -.

and the braindead ‘pedestri-
‘ans: who are prone, to-cross:,

‘ing ‘the street willy nilly, ran-

domly and without foresight

> or lateral thought, like *

‘pheasants ina rifle range...

here are nwo types of; °

“crosswalks to.be found on.

ithe. North Shore. First there.

» ds the-SMarked Crosswaik,”
easily de ed by.-two, fat,:.
Pp Jel white lines stretch-
ngacross the roadway like.a
two dimensional draw-" |
bridge, or the slatted, fat:

hite lines acting in a.simi-  ~

_dar fashion and made famous .-

“on the cover of the Beatles’

bbey Road album. |. :

Then there is the: *.
“Unmarked.Crosswalk,”

; re.is'a sign specif-
ically erected :for foot traffic’: °
. “which reads “no pedestri-- :
 ans”or such). Unmarked:
~ Crosswalks are embodied by
ithe. prolongation:of the side-.. -
‘walk: or pedestrian pathway’ .
into and’ actoss a road.

PEDESTAIANS using marked crosswalks should not assume approaching vehicles will yield the right of way.
Likewise, drivers whose vision Is restricted by stopped vehicles should anticipate pedesizians In the road.

Throughout the years
various communities and
safety committees have
requested replacement of
Unmarked Crosswalks with
Marked Crasswalks in cer-
tain high volume areas, only
to be rebuffed by city plan-
ners and their colleagues.

-There is, of course, a rea-
son for this lack of compli-
ance. Pedestrians-in gencral
have proven themselves -
lulled-into a false sense of

“security when given. access
“through a Marked Crosswalk

~~ they cross as if they were
on a drawbridge: over traffic,
rather than in a: figurative
drawbridge through traffic

~ and serious-conflicrs have

often resulted.
(Thea there are the

~ braindead pedestrians who.

are lulled by their own
heartbeat and who cross the
street with a false sense of
immortality. ’'m not sure
what we can do about
them.) - :

. Drivers have an obvious
and distinct advantage over

. pedestrians. ©

Disregarding a couple of
Redncy Dangerfield’s moth-
er-in-law jokes, cars have
much more mass than peo-
ple.. However, nowhere in
the mighty Motor Vehicle _
Act is there a “Right-of-
Bulk” law.

So, drivers, if there is a
pedestrian crossing the
street in or close-to your.
lane (that part of the road
that both of you need to get
where you are going) yield

(read: give) the right of way
by stopping or slowing
down.

Pedestrians, if bonehead
doesn’t look like he’s going
to stop or slow down for
you, step back, or forward as
the case may be, and get out
of the way. You cannot win
this particular game of
chicken. Besides, you should .
not take something (in this
case,-the right of way) that
has not been given.

“Now, with all ‘these stu--_

dious people crossing the
street in swarms, it may
seem, at times, that getting
anywhere in a car is going to
be next to impossible.

Fortunately, traffic laws
have changed somewhat and
are a little more accommo-
dating these days.

In the old days, for
example, drivers were told
to stop and wait for pedes-

_ trians to de entircly off the

street and out of the cross-
walk before driving couid
resume.

This is not the case today.
Ifa pedestrian is no longer
in or approaching your lane
you may proceed — cau-

‘ tiously! — but you don’t

have to wait for them to be
entirely off the roadway.

- Keep in mind, however,
that there may be other
pedestrians nearby who want
to take advantage of the fact
that you have stopped and
might very well dart ont in
front of you with out realiz-
ing that you don’t sce them,
_. With this in mind, pedes-

trians, understand that vou
have to be in the crosswalk
and ready to cross before
you can expect cars to stop
for you.

Stanaing idle on the side-
walk-and glaring at the cars
going. by does not signal
your truc intention of cross-
ing, it just makes you look
crazy. :

Too, bolting out in front

of a stopped car doesn’t nec-
“essarily mean that it stopped

for you; that the driver even
knows you are there.

The most simple rate for:
avoiding driver/pedestrian
conflict is io make cye-con-'
tact with each and every dri-
ver you step in front of. And
to side-track a littie: If a dri-
ver gives you the go-ahead
with a wave or a nod,’
assume that driver is other-
wise clueless and has not
noticed the Mack truck bar-
relling along on the next
Jane. To wit: it is your job to
cross safely; the friendly dri-
ver may know nothing of
the Big Picture.

And, backing up a bir,
don’t even think about step-
ping off the curb until it is
reasonably safe to do so,
cross only when approaching
vehicles seem to have taken
the hint and yielded to you,.
and don’t cross from one
lane to the next without the
same assurance." ‘

A terribly important note.
to drivers out there, bone-
head or otherwise: If you
see a vehicle up ahead that ©

has stopped up for ne appar-

ent reason, check your abili-
ty to reason. Use that ability
if you have it, stop driving if
you don’t.

Couldn’t there be 2
pedestrian in the roadway
making his or her way across
the street for which that
vehicle has stopped?

As often as not, a driver
will stop when waiting for a-
parking space and we'd go
around them; cars will stop”
for a right curn, waiting for -
traffic to clear,.and we'd go

- around them.

In spite of the normal
tlow of waffic and the natur-
al habit to drive around any-
thing disrupting the flow of
traffic, drivers are required
to be aware of ALL reasons
for blockages to the flow.

Not often, yet too often,
a pedestrian is struck bya
car which is passing a car

_that has stopped for a nedes-

trian. Such a violent
ericounter is senseless and
enraging..

Drivers, use your head —
nat the bony part, the
brainy part — pedestrians
that ence fouled-up the
shopping malls and beach-
side parking-lots are now.
making their way to those :.

jant, day-long holding pens
own as school. Let “em

_ getthere alive.

More on crosswalks next’
weck and specifically on
pedestrian contro! devices
and pedestrians at traffic.
lights. :

Have fun ia school. Be:

getting .in’ and.

Driving
to school
saiely

SCHOOL starts today,
which means there will
be thousands of stu-
dents out walking and
biking.

For some kids, this will be
their first time crossing busy
streets and intersections and
without having learned traffic
safety rules. Other students
may be excited and forget the
rules.

The British Columbia
Automobile Association
(BCAA) offers the following
safety tips for drivers and par-
ents to make sure children
head back to school safely.

Drivers can make help
make the road safe by doing

* the following:

8 Drive carefully and. adjust
your speed in school aid play-
ground zones, Slow down and
allow yourself more time to
react.
Be careful when. driving past
parks, playgrounds and. resi-
dential areas where there may
be parked cars. Be aware of
potential blind spots. Children
may dart out from between
parked cars, so quick reactions
are extremely important.
@ Watch out for children sid-
ing bicycles, especially. the
younger ones :
whose reflexes aren’r fully.
developed. Be sure to leave .
sufficient room to manoeuvre. .
While driving, motorists.
should keep headlights on-at _.
all times. This improves visibil-
ity for drivers as well as pedes-
trians, : apo
No matter what time of day, ”
motorists should take: care. ~
when backing up, especially’:
when leaving driveways. cos
@ Walk around vehicles before.
check - for. :- --
sobjecis behind: 60
and under. the car.

Parents can. also help KOR

pare themselves: and: children .
by doing the following: 300."
@ Befcre your kids go back to
school, go over pedestrian safe-'
ty rules with them-: This is:
especially important. for. the
kids: going to school for: th
first nme. The dangers of dart
ing between .. parked -: cars
should be pointed out...
® Show your children’ the: -
safest routes . between | home:

‘and school. Before crossing .
“vany. street, make. sure: they:

pause and look’ all ways, point
and proceed... - mh
8 When dropping your chil-.
dren,..off,’ find an. approved.
‘drop-off zone. - ;

“~ Je’s'up to drivers to be'alert

and ready for-the. unexpecte ds
as ‘children head: ‘back. to

. school. «. :