HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-04-08, Page 21Stark reality of death will
bring meaning to safety
BY DAVE SYKES
One of these days someone is going to be
killed and then people will want to do
something about it. ,
The statement has universal applications
but OPP Constable Eric Gosse insists the
stark reality of a death or injury will bring a
new perspective to school bus safety. But
unfortuneatelyc someone may have to get
hurt before attitudes change.
A small child gets off a school bus and
walks in front of the vehicle to cross the
road. But j ust as the student reaches the end
of the vehicle and peers around the corner, a
car whizzes past and is lost ina cloud of dust
on the sideroad.
If the child had been careless and not
looked before crossing, it could have easily
beenkilled.
But a -child getting. off a stopped school
,,bus, with flashers boldly signalling the
discharge of passengers, should not have to
take the precaution of checking for on-
coming traffic. Traffic should bestopped in
both directions when such a bus stops to take
on or discharge passengers.
The cargo is precious but impatience, and
drivers who think time is vitally more im-
portant, will pass busses.
It has been happening in Huron County
with increasing regularity and 'will happen
again: One day a child will be seriously hurt
or killed by an impatient driver who can't
spare the time. Undoubtedly. it is an in-
congruous act, done on ,the spur of the
moment without serious consideration given
to the consequences.
There , was such an incident outside
'Goderich , just a few weeks ago' and Con-
stable Eric Gosse of the Goderich Detach-
ment of the OPP says in most cases it is
difficult to lay charges. But he still would
like something done.'about the situation._,. ___,
"Recently we have had three serious
complaints and something must be done,"
he said° "There are many more complaints
that -aren't reported but there is not much -
we (police) can do."
•
There isn't much police can do unless
they witness the situation and can lay .,a
charge on the spot. Under the Highway
Traffic Act the police crust charge the
driver of the vehicle which complicates
matters.
If a bus driver is alert enough to record
the licence number of a passing.car, police
may pursue the matter, with the vehicle
owner, but the onus is on the police to prove
the owner was the driver.
Gosse says a change in the law is required
to rectify the situation. If. police could
simply charge the owner of the vehicle in
that case, he said, there would less risks on.
the highway.
"We've done everything we can in the
schools to educate the children," he said. "If
we can't identify the drit'er we can't lay a
charge. It °would take a law change. We
should be able to charge the owner of the
vehicle." Gosse hears numerous horror stories in
his school rounds, about drivers disregar-
ding bus signals and he insists that a child
will be hurt before something gets done.
One of the difficulties is educating the
driving public. The children are well aware
of bus safety, much more so than public.
Grey and Bruce counties use a bus patrol
'system, in which designated students act as
monitors on the bus. They can report ..
students to the principal for misbehaving
but more importantly, they see that students
get across the road safely at each stop,
making sure traffic has stopped before
escorting children across the road.
"There is no problems in areas that use
patrols. People know about them and what
their job is," Gosse said. "Patrols are
taugltit to control the pus if something
happens to the driver and they have
seminars every year."
Bob Sherwood of Sherwood Tran-
sportation saysthe public's disregard of
school bus signals is not a. new problem but
one that has plagued drivers for years.
"More training is necessaary to educate
the public," he said. "People have to realize
that the big yellow vehicle with all those
windows is more than a cattle truck."
Sherwoodspeaks highly of the bus patrol
system used in other counties and aside
from the safety benefits, he says it helps cut
down on bus vandalism as well. He said.
patrols are most usefull in the densely
populated urban areas where traffic flow is
heavier but added that the program has
useful applications here.
The safety problems in this area are more
acute in May and June when visitors begin
flocking to the cottage areas. In some areas
busses have been equiped with four flashing
lights, both in front and at therear of the
bus,. tohelp slowdown traffic.. in both
directions.
More lights will not help in all cases.
People have to realize that a stopped bus is
either discharging children or loading and
drivers must stop.
Why take the chance of passing a school
bus. It could result in injury or death.
Drivers must be educated about school bus safety to protect
children getting on and off buses each day. Too Many drivers are
still passing stopped buses, endangering the lives of youngsters who
N
cross the road thlning traffic is stopped in both directions. (photo
by Dave Sykes)
133 YEAR -14
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 1981
f they coiihital:
SECOND SECTION!
The Canadoc, a 17 -year-old bulk cargo ship, docked in Goderich harbor last Thursday for a
load of corn. Its arrival heralded the beginning of the shipping season here. (Photo by
Joanne Buchanan)
First grain boat
into harbor heralds
new shipping season
BY JOANNE BUCHANAN
The first grain boat of 1981 arrived at
Goderich harbor last Thursday morning to
herald the opening of another shipping
season here.
The Canadoc, a 17 -year-old bulk cargo
ship, docked for a load of corn at 11:30 a.m.
en route from Hamilton to Sorel', Quebec.
The last grain boat to be the first into
Goderich harbor was the Quebecois which
arrived April 6. 1977. For the next three
years after that, the salt boat M.V. Agawa
Canyon arrived first, last year as early as
March 31•.
#s is tradition, upon his arrival,
Cahadoo captain John McKenaie was
presented with a top hat by the mayor at
town hall. McKenzie has been sailing on
the Great Lakes for 30 years and has been
a captain for five years, the last two and a
half with the Canadoc. But this is the first
time he has ever had the honors of being
to"si tutu put L.
No one is quite sure where the top hat
idea originated but it has become a
tradition down through the years in all the
ports along the Great Lakes to present one
to the captain of the first ship to arrive
every season. In Goderich, the same hat is
used year after year with each captain
being asked to sign his name to the inside .
of it.
As a momento of Goderich. Captain
McKenzie received a' large framed
photograph of the lighthouse and he and
his wife, Marjorie, who drove from
Mildmay for the occassion, were taken out
to dinner by town officials.
The captain said ice was encountered
two miles outside Goderich harbor and for
30 miles on Lake Erie. On Wednesday
evening, the ship stopped to wait for the
wind to die down. Otherwise,, it was a
smooth trip, making April 2—an early
arival date for a grain boat—an easy feat.
A drive in the country isn't complete without a stop at Les Jervis'
farm east of Holmesville. Upper left is a sad -looking Highland
cow, at right this white deer peeks from behind a tree. lower left
this Canada Goose glides serenely on the pond, and at right this
fellow looks like he'd enjoy a good `yak'. (Photos by Cath Wooden) ..