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Back to school: ICBC says nearly 400 kids injured each year

Drivers and parents in B.C. are reminded to slow down as kids head back to school next week
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ICBC is reminding parents and drivers to watch out for kids as they go back to school. File photo

ICBC is reminding drivers to be on the look out for more pedestrians as children head back to school next week.

Each year across the province 380 children are injured and six are killed while walking or cycling. This includes 86 kids who were injured in playground and school zones, despite the fact that 7,900 drivers were ticketed for speeding in school and playground zones last year.

On the Lower Mainland, an average of three children are killed every year while they were walking or cycling, and 260 are injured in crashes. This includes 51 children injured in school and playground zones.

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On Vancouver Island, an average of two children are killed while walking or cycling, and 57 are injured in crashes every year, including 14 injured in playground zones.

In the Southern Interior, an average of one child is killed while walking or cycling, and 42 are injured, including 13 children in school and playground zones.

In North Central B.C., an average of 14 children are injured every year while walking or cycling, including eight children in school and playground zones.

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ICBC is asking parents and drivers to slow down and remain focused while on the road.

They also offer tips, including:

  • When dropping off your child at school, let them out of the car on the side closest to the sidewalk. Do not stop mid-block
  • Watch out for school busses with flashing lights, and remember vehicles on either side of these busses must stop.
  • Before getting into your vehicle, check all the way around and under your car to make sure a child isn’t hidden from view.
  • In residential areas, remember that a hockey net or ball can mean kids are nearby. Drive slow and watch out in case a child dashes out suddenly.

For more tips, you can see their full tip sheet, or head to icbc.com

nicole.crescenzi@vicnews.com


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