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Pay attention! School’s back in

There’s more than speed to think about as kids head back to school
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It seems like just yesterday that the excited shouts from school children were echoing through emptying playgrounds as summer vacation finally began.

And yet on Tuesday, students will be heading back to school (albeit with maybe a little less enthusiasm).

This is typically the time when Chilliwack motorists are reminded to watch their speeds. School zone speed limits return, school buses ply their routes, and eager and unpredictable students are on the streets.

Local RCMP and Chilliwack Speed Watch volunteers will be with them, reminding motorists that school zone speed limits are in effect. The message is a simple one: Drivers are able to react more quickly if their speeds are low, and the damage they do – should they hit someone – is vastly reduced.

Every year the message is repeated. And every year that message is ignored by some.

On average, says ICBC, 72 children in B.C. are injured every year in school and playground zones – 42 in the Lower Mainland alone. They are part of the 370 injuries and six deaths that occur annually in the province while children are walking, cycling or skateboarding.

But speed isn’t the only factor. Increasingly, distracted driving is playing a roll in these tragedies. In fact, distracted driving is now blamed for more deaths on B.C. roads than impaired driving.

That’s why this year police and Speed Watch volunteers won’t just be watching speeds. They’ll be looking for drivers who can’t seem to leave their phone alone while behind the wheel.

Not only is distracted driving dangerous, it’s costly. Fines can total $368 for just the first offence.

But it really shouldn’t be about the money. It’s about ensuring that the excitement of returning to school is not marred by a tragedy – one that is easily avoided, and everyone’s duty to prevent.