A group of concerned parents are lobbying the city of Grand Forks to permanently lower the posted speed limit on 75th Ave. in front of John A Hutton Elementary School from 50 km/h to 30 km/h.
Currently, the area has a reduced limit of 30 km/h between 8 A.M. and 5 P.M.
“At this point, it isn’t (a question of) if there will be an incident, it’s when there will be one involving a child,” said Shannon Donald, whose child attends the school.
Donald authored a letter to the council on behalf of other parents. According to her, in the past six months, two animals have been struck in front of the school including one collision which took place in front of children.
School board chair Rose Zitko also penned a letter to city council in support of the parents.
Reducing the speed limit would not only reduce the likelihood of accidents taking place but also how severe they would be if they did occur.
The relationship between speed and fatalities is not linear. For every one per cent increase in speed, there is a four per cent increase in the likelihood of a fatal crash.
A pedestrian struck by a car moving at 50 km/h is eight times more likely to be killed than someone struck by a vehicle moving at 30 km/h, according to research by the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators.
Young people are particularly affected by the dangers of cars as they are the leading cause of death in Canadians under the age of 19.
The absence of proper pedestrian infrastructure creates an increased risk for people in the area.
“There [are] often issues with vehicles speeding down this avenue, many times taking up the entire road with no regard as to who is on it, trying to avoid the highway that is only a short distance away,” Donald wrote in her letter.
In their call to action from city council, parents noted that the school is the only playground and sports field in the area and is seeing increased use with the influx of families in Grand Forks.
“These safety changes would not only benefit the schools and the various play programs year round, but also the residents and church that line this street,” said Donald.