WEYBURN - Recently, the Weyburn Police reminded motorists to be alert, and drive cautiously in school zones, as they had received complaints regarding motorists that ignore and drive through stop signs held by a school patroller or a bus arm.
It is a little alarming that motorists are either not paying attention, or too much in a hurry, to be mindful of the important rules of the road in a school zone. It calls to mind how recently I had a talk with my son, a learner driver, on how he needs to obey the rules of the road or he is simply not getting behind the wheel. Maybe there are more drivers out there in our community that should be reminded of the responsibility they have on their shoulders, when they sit in the driver’s seat in the car.
Yes, it is true that students do rush out into the street and often are not paying attention. There does need to be more education from parents, teachers and staff members to remind our local youth that they have a responsibility of their own, as pedestrians. They should be crossing only at crosswalks, and keep their heads up and alert to the signs of traffic that might be on the road (and not down to their phone).
I know that in many ways Weyburn has a small town feeling, in the fact that our neighbours look out for us, and that people are very courteous in saying hello and goodbye. Part of that small town feeling is the bad habit of jay-walking, and admit it, you have done it more than once in your life. We all need to do our part, teach our children the right way to cross the road, and take the extra five seconds of our lives to find the nearest safe crossing across the street.
As a resident of King Street, I am very familiar with the concerning traffic issues around the Weyburn Comp. I have had people speed by my house, going way beyond the 30 kilometres per hour speed limit that exists in that school zone. I admit I have actively reduced my speed, before turning into my driveway, when there is someone hot on my heels.
Recently, while attending a student-parent-teacher conference at the Comp, I noticed a long line of cars parked in front of the north entrance (of parents waiting to pick up their children from school). If you have not read the signs in the parking lot, that whole loop around the parking stalls is a fire lane, which means that anyone parking there, even for five minutes, is parking illegally.
I know there is not a lot of street parking, because of the intersection of Douglas Road right across from the entrance to the Weyburn Comp. Parents should work with their children to help them identify their vehicles on the street, and obey the laws. That parking lot would be a very dangerous place to be, if there was a fire or a need for a fire engine to be near the school, during times when cars are in the fire loop.
We can all do our part to be safe drivers, and teach our children to be alert pedestrians. It should be up to everyone involved to make sure that our school zones are protected for the future of the youth in our city.
