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I’d hypothesize that people drive more recklessly as a byproduct of less pedestrian activity especially children. I see many cars speed through school zones and

I’d hypothesize that people drive more recklessly as a byproduct of less pedestrian activity especially children. I see many cars speed through school zones and it makes sense why, because there are never any pedestrians observed over years of my commute I’ve never seen a kid walk to school. The car pool line is longer than ever but it’s also usually off street in a parking lot area of the schools (where I am). Also as a dad of a 4 year old, I commonly witness other drivers quickly adjust their driving style when the spot my kid. It’s as if they realize kids are erratic and May jump out in the road so they become more defensive. If kids out playing was normal still, I think people would still drive closer to that as default. The car size thing is valid. Although I remember cars in the 80s, often of the 70s, were massive steel tanks and I doubt the braking distances were all that good.

prawn 4y ago
I'd agree with that about driving behaviour around visible children. It's considered to be something that would improve cycling safety too: more cyclists creates greater awareness in general, and safety for further cyclists. One thing I've noticed is that at a school near me, the school zone signs about driving speed are often shadowed/obscured by parked parents and trees from above. Stops it from being front of mind. That school has been there and I've driven past it for decades, but as you said, often it takes seeing a family in the area to remind me that it's a school zone and in school hours, since I'm usually driving past at other times of day. I participated in a citizen's panel for community road safety years back and thought that there should be a broader zone for a block or two surrounding schools. It wouldn't necessarily be as strict as 25km/h, but maybe 35km/h and rendered differently - coloured line markings, kerb colours, no hanging foliage or bushes higher than 300-500mm, more limitations on parking. Right now, parents compete to drop kids as close as possible to school, to minimise road crossings. Give them more confidence to drop kids further away. Limits congestion and builds autonomy in the kids.
- conductr 4y ago
  Interesting. Where I am they signs are blinky traffic lights above and below the large “school zone 20 mph” sign. However the school is often a massive property and the actual drop zone is probably 100s of yards from road traffic. It’s in case of a kid crossing the street but as I mentioned no pedestrians exist. It’s common to have school zones in all direction of school property for a quarter mile radius. Some places where a school is next to a highway, the school zone extends onto the highway. No pedestrian much less a kid is on the highway (the school zone law just isn’t detailed enough to specify what to do in this situation). In the drop off lines, the teachers assist to keep the cars moving so you really shouldn’t start unloading early and let them walk. I think it would be good as you mentioned but would be against the factory line they’ve created. I think they tried that in decades past but resolved on this as parents complained it was too slow to wait. Where I live it’s very car dependent and people really do want to drop their kid off at front door and get off to their day asap above all else.

prawn 4y ago

I'd agree with that about driving behaviour around visible children. It's considered to be something that would improve cycling safety too: more cyclists creates greater awareness in general, and safety for further cyclists. One thing I've noticed is that at a school near me, the school zone signs about driving speed are often shadowed/obscured by parked parents and trees from above. Stops it from being front of mind. That school has been there and I've driven past it for decades, but as you said, often it takes seeing a family in the area to remind me that it's a school zone and in school hours, since I'm usually driving past at other times of day. I participated in a citizen's panel for community road safety years back and thought that there should be a broader zone for a block or two surrounding schools. It wouldn't necessarily be as strict as 25km/h, but maybe 35km/h and rendered differently - coloured line markings, kerb colours, no hanging foliage or bushes higher than 300-500mm, more limitations on parking. Right now, parents compete to drop kids as close as possible to school, to minimise road crossings. Give them more confidence to drop kids further away. Limits congestion and builds autonomy in the kids.

conductr 4y ago
Interesting. Where I am they signs are blinky traffic lights above and below the large “school zone 20 mph” sign. However the school is often a massive property and the actual drop zone is probably 100s of yards from road traffic. It’s in case of a kid crossing the street but as I mentioned no pedestrians exist. It’s common to have school zones in all direction of school property for a quarter mile radius. Some places where a school is next to a highway, the school zone extends onto the highway. No pedestrian much less a kid is on the highway (the school zone law just isn’t detailed enough to specify what to do in this situation). In the drop off lines, the teachers assist to keep the cars moving so you really shouldn’t start unloading early and let them walk. I think it would be good as you mentioned but would be against the factory line they’ve created. I think they tried that in decades past but resolved on this as parents complained it was too slow to wait. Where I live it’s very car dependent and people really do want to drop their kid off at front door and get off to their day asap above all else.