THUNDER BAY – Crimebeat – The Thunder Bay Police Service are gearing up for the start of school on Tuesday. Police advise that motorists can “expect a police presence around our schools to get the new school year off to a safe and secure start”.
TBPS have advice for residents as the school year starts:
Drivers: Please be cautious and aware of the children as they make their way to and from school. Obey the flashing lights on school buses, observe the posted speed limits, follow directions from school crossing guards and keep in mind that children sometimes dart out from parked cars. Expect more bikes on our roads!
Moms and Dads: Talk to your kids about the importance of not running out into the street and to obey traffic lights and crossing guards. If your school has a Kiss ‘n Ride program, please follow the instructions that will be provided to you by each principal. It can be as easy as picking up your morning coffee in a drive through.
Please set the alarm clock to give an extra ten minutes in inclement weather, and avoid the rush!
Bright clothes will always make small people easier to see. Writing a name and school on the collars will always help if the wee ones should get lost and forget their name in the panic.
Cyclists: Cyclists need to be aware that the Highway Traffic Act and city bylaws apply to them! In fact there are a number of regulations to keep in mind.
• Bikes must have a white front light and a red rear light or reflector if you ride ½ hour before sunset and ½ hour after sunrise.
• Bikes must have a bell or horn.
• Do not ride across a roadway within a pedestrian crosswalk. Walk your bike in this situation.
• Your bike must have at least one brake system on the rear wheel capable of skidding that wheel on dry, level pavement.
• Cyclists must identify themselves when stopped by the police for contravening the Highway Traffic Act. Giving your correct name and address will do.
• A city bylaw states that bikes with wheel diameters greater than 43 cm’s must use the road and not the sidewalk. There is also a bylaw which prohibits the use of headphones by cyclists.
• If you bike has a wheel diameter of 43 cm or less and you are using the sidewalk, you must dismount and walk your bike across light controlled intersections.
• The City of Thunder Bay has introduced new dedicated and shared bicycle routes that will make your ride safer and quicker. Plan ahead and use the safer alternative.
R.I.D.E. Programs: Our Traffic Unit will be keeping a careful eye on the roads this week as all schools get underway. There will be a number of R.I.D.E. programs aimed at the influx of College and University students to our city. The best advice is quite simple: Don’t drink or do drugs and drive! You’ve worked hard to get into your program, so don’t make such a big mistake now.
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