Watch out for school kids when driving
Editorial

This is a reminder that the vast majority of you probably don't need, but a little bit of prevention never hurt anyone.

Kids are back to school this week, meaning we have to look out for them, especially for the first couple of days.

Think back to when you were a kid. The week after Labour Day was one of excitement, as we engaged in the novelty of breaking in new teachers and getting use to new classmates while getting back together with friends we hadn't seen in a couple of months. Of course, those positives were contrasted with a kind of down-in-the-dumps mood a lot of us had, as we saw the end of two whole months of freedom from pencils, books and teachers' dirty looks.

The point is basic safety may not be on the front burner for a lot of these kids. Oh sure, any parent worth his or her salt will have reminded the kids to be mindful of cars and other traffic when getting on or off a school bus, to look both ways when crossing the street, etc.

But any kid who is truly a kid might be inclined to forget such lectures once they're uttered. The reason for that is, of course, simple. They are kids and they are likely going to act accordingly, just as we adults did at that age. Kids never change.

So we adults have to be aware of that, and be ready to compensate for the lapses of the young. That means being especially careful when driving past schools, and that also means being on the lookout for the school buses.

Us working folks who use the roads just before and just after school have had it pretty good for the last two months. We haven't has to stop for those flashing red lights.

Well folks, they are back, and so is our obligation to stop for them. Forget the fact that you face a stiff fine and the reality of demerit points if you fail to do so. Remember that the reason you stop for a school bus is it's the right thing to do, no matter how frustrating it might be when you're trying to get to work.

Kids might forget their safety rules because kids are kids and they tend to act accordingly. Adults behind the wheel have to be ready to compensate for that because adults are adults and are expected to act accordingly.

Not too much for anyone to ask, is it?