Let’s overcome some fears

Nowadays, children usually take the bus to school or are driven by their parents. The result is that, before the bell rings, school zones are packed with cars weaving their way around school buses, other cars and the odd pedestrian or cyclist. Safety concerns are, therefore, very real. One viable solution is to promote walking and other means of actively getting to and from elementary schools. CAA-Quebec’s safety patrollers are at the forefront of this initiative.

In the 1990s, almost one of every two children walked to school. By the 2000s, that number had been cut by half for the benefit of the automobile.⁽¹⁾ Because we have become so fearful of traffic accidents and stranger abductions, we drive the kids to school ourselves. Each year during the back-to-school period, CA A-Quebec experts have observed hundreds of risky behaviours in school zones. Road traffic in those situations is a concern both in terms of public safety as well as public health.

But let’s be realistic. Certain risks are always going to be there whether we’re driving, walking or cycling. And that situation can be blamed on inadequate, even deficient infrastructure (like sidewalks or bike paths), or the chaotic, aggressive nature of city traffic. Yet there is one thing we can all agree on:  Parents’ good judgment should always take precedence.

And we still must overcome our fears.  One solution is teaching our children how to gradually become more independent. Walk the route with them to and from school several times. Teach them to respect road signage. Explain the importance of waiting for the WALK sign before crossing. Practise looking left, right, then left again before crossing the street. Those are examples of what can be done.

Have you heard of the CAA-Quebec School Safety Patrol Program, which turns 90 this year? We’re not talking about our indispensable municipal patrollers, but rather the fifth- and sixth-graders helping their fellow students stay safe in school. You’ll find them in school halls and yards, on school buses and at certain intersections.  These trustworthy youngsters are role models in the eyes of their peers. And later on, they also become road-safety ambassadors.  For 90 years and counting, hundreds of thousands of youngsters have participated in the program.  To know more, read the Front & Centre article on page 23.

Let’s face it: We must prepare our children, allowing each of them to acquire their independence. Elementary school is the ideal time to do so and the school-safety patrol represents one of the ways through which you can equip them. Walking and cycling are beneficial for health and the environment and in building self-confidence in our children. So in the final analysis, there are only positive reasons to be enthusiastic and join the program.

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^{(1) Source: Institut national de santé publique du Québec. Sécurité des élèves du primaire lors des déplacements à pied et à vélo entre la maison et l’école au Québec, April 2011.}