signals

SOMETIMES drivers
are in the zone. Other
times they’re just zoned
q out.

Stan Ward recently wrote
in with an important query
§ about playground zones. Mr.

- Ward stated that while a play-

“ground-zone sign obviously
marks the beginning of the
zoned arca, there was no clear
sign telling drivers when they
had left the zone. Mr. Ward
“was told by his professional
driving exantiner to use the
sign posted across the street
for people traveling in the

posite direction as a marker
for the zone’s end.

_. Curiously, Mr. Ward
thought this sounded a little
“crazy and dangerous” and
hoped that there was a fegal
definition for zones. There is.
¢ Mr. Ward’s examiner was
‘perfectly correct, which is a.
:good thing when one consid-
vers that this examiner hands

out licences for a living. The
printed definition is found in
the BC Regulations, Division

23, Schedule | of the mighty

Motor Vehicle Act.

The plavground area sign
itself is a black on yellow
{reflectorized background)
picture ora child chasing a

loose ball. It tells you to
watch for children playing
nearby. Occasionally a “speed

$ wb” is affixed beneath this

sign which usually reads “30

im km-h” (sometimes “no pass-
ing”). These tabs are invari-

a able painted black on white,
which makes them a law.

&. . The regulations irrevocably
state “the back of the sign

‘assembly erected for the

opposite direction of travel
designates the end of the
restricted zone.”

So. If you are-in the zone

Se (not zoned out), slow down

ag and watch out for kids dash-
ing about as kids are wont to
do. When you pass the back
of the sign posted for drivers
coming, from the opposite
Sdirection you are out of the
a zone and you can resume
: speed at the normal city rate.
Yet all this sounds crszy
: Rand dangeruus to Mr. Ward.
Why? IT assume that Mr. Ward
gis referring to the fact that we
gmust take our eyes off che
road in order to spot the
backs of signs on the other
ide of the street.
While I can appreciate Mr.
Vard’s keep-your-eyes-on-
Rthe-road philosophy, this is
not enough when living the
eality of today’s driving.
Kids, after all, rarely come
uoning wildly straight toward
four car; they come from the
sin that insidious way of
s. They come from plav-

grounds which are strategical-
ly placed off to the side of the
road rather than in the middle
of it. They come from
berween parked cars where
only soccer balls, small dogs
and kids can fit.

There are hazards all
around vou, folks. Be aware
of things going on al! about
you and at all times but espe-
cially in playground zones. If
the playground zone is also a
reduced -speed zone, that’s
probab! because road engi-
neers have realized restricted
vision or similar hazards great-
ly reduce a driver's ability to
react at normal city speeds.

Kids aren’ necessarily
thinking about cars. Drivers
should always b thinking
about kids --- thinking for
kids.

Now, if you're watching
for those crazy kids, watch for
the backs of signs while
you're at it.

In the zone? Kids’ lives are
ar stake.

_ ae cS ws
NEWS photo Terry Peters

COLUMNIST Shaun Conlin reminds you that if you are
in the zone — the school or playground kind — watch

Be sate. out for kids (and News columnists) dashing about.

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©

Friday, February 21, 1997 — North Shore News — 35

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