Motorists asked to be vigilant to save student lives
Despite the concerns raised by parents, Alberta Transportation has decided not to upgrade the pedestrian crosswalk on Highway 9 South and 12 Ave SE. The intersection is used by many students to go to and from Greentree School.
In the June 27 edition of The Drumheller Mail, it was reported Alberta Transportation was conducting a warrant analysis on whether the Highway 9 and 12 Ave SE intersection should be upgraded.
“The analysis was done in June and found that basically what there is now is adequate. The full red, amber, green signals are not required,” said Trent Bancarz, spokeperson for Alberta Transportation.
The analysis was prompted by concerns raised by parents and residents that children were in danger when using the crosswalk. This past spring, a Greentree student was crossing and his bike was hit by a passing vehicle. The same student was almost hit again only a few weeks later.
As part of the analysis, Alberta Transportation spent some time observing the crosswalk this past June.
“We took the concern seriously and we took a look at the intersection. You need to have the adequate signals in place for the intersection, but on the other hand, people need to use it correctly as well to maximize safely,” said Bancarz. “One of the things we found when we observed the crosswalk is a lot of instances of people not using the crosswalk correctly. There is an onus on drivers as well. When they see those amber lights flashing, they should slow down and look to see if anyone is crossing.”
Bancarz did note, however, the students using the crosswalk were doing so correctly, unlike some adults.
Greentree School will be proactive in educating its students about crosswalk safety.
“The teachers go over student safety in health class. We talk about traffic safety in our school council. We’ve put reminders about traffic safety in our monthly newsletter,” said Greentree School associate principal Jane Smith. “We also have supervisors before and after school.”
The RCMP have begun monitoring intersections near schools, such as the one in front of St. Anthony’s, in an effort to educate drivers.
“Our school patrols have started. The school zones and intersections associated with them will be patrolled regularly with increased enforcement in those intersections,” said Staff Sergeant Art Hopkins.
Greentree School and the Drumheller RCMP are asking motorists to be careful when approaching intersections near schools.
“We ask motorists to please be aware of students crossing at the intersection. Be vigilant about students on bike or foot going to and from school,” said Greentree School associate principal Jane Smith.
“Motorists should have increased vigilance now that kids are back in school. A lot of these kids are in a rush, they’re excited to get to school and they might not be paying as close attention to motorists as they should,” said Staff Sergeant Hopkins. “Everyone has to do whatever they can to ensure the safety of our children.”
