Back to school safety

Surrey

2022-09-01 09:25 PDT

Whether you are a parent, student, teacher or motorist, we all have a key role to play in ensuring our kids head back to school safely. The start of the school year is the perfect time for reviewing and practising pedestrian road safety strategies for the entire family.

Pedestrians

Use designated cross walks and follow crossing signals where available.
When crossing major roads, make sure that all lanes of traffic have stopped – don’t assume that traffic will stop for you.
Make eye contact with drivers before stepping out onto crosswalks.
Dress to be seen. Wear bright colours or reflective material whenever possible.
Always be aware of your surroundings. Remove headphones and put electronic devices away.

Drivers

Slow down. 30km/h speed limit is in effect in school zones from 8:00am to 5:00pm on school days.
Leave yourself extra time to get through school zones. Drop off and pick up times can be especially busy and congested.
Focus on the road by putting away electronic devices and other distractions.
Be alert for youngsters walking to and from school as you back out of your driveway or leave your parking garage.
When dropping off or picking up children at school, ensure you do so in a safe place where the children can exit onto a sidewalk.

School Bus Safety: Did You Know?

It is illegal for a vehicle to pass a stopped school bus with its red light flashing.
All vehicles travelling in the same and opposite direction as the bus are required to stop when the bus displays flashing red warning lights and extends the stop signal arm.
Failure to stop for a school bus signal can result in a $368 fine.

Surrey RCMP Youth Programs and Initiatives

Surrey RCMP works closely with the Surrey School District on a number of youth programs and initiatives to facilitate positive connections between youth, their family, school and the community. This year, programs that were previously adapted to a virtual format during the COVID-19 pandemic, will return to in-person. This includes schools visits from School Resource Officers, and in-person presentations.

Surrey RCMP School Resource Officers are assigned to every school in Surrey. They are responsible for attending calls for service at the schools, and also for education and outreach with students of all ages. School programs include:

Code Blue/Mini Blue
Project Lavender
Shattering the Image
Wrap Program