Girl hit by SUV

[Steve-O]

I don't disagree Raven but bouncing a kid or two off your bumper is a bit of a harsh lesson don't cha think. Drivers paying attention doesn't fit my definition of coddling. Guess I do disagree a bit.

[Raven1]

As long as children don't understand the dangers that is coddling. Children should be taught how to behave when walking on a roadway with no sidewalks, why does everything revolve around protecting the children without teaching them how to behave. It needs to begin while they are still impressionable and it will stick with them for life(and yes it can start when they are in kindergarten....playschool even).

Placing both blame and responsibility on drivers is just wrong.

[Steve-O]

Again, you are still not wrong. Kids should be taught but you are talking about kids, they get distracted by shiny pennies and as adults the responsibility does start with us. Both to teach them and to set an example.

[dodgerdodge]

Again, you are still not wrong. Kids should be taught but you are talking about kids, they get distracted by shiny pennies and as adults the responsibility does start with us. Both to teach them and to set an example.

Absolutely and that is why we still have a huge epidemic of driving while texting/talking/facebooking or whatever because the parents still do it openly whilst their kids are in the car. I've seen numerous mums/dads/uncles/aunts driving whilst using phone with young kids and teenage kids sitting in the car. This send a message that its acceptable when they should be setting an example as you say.
Lots of teaching needs to happen on road safety as a whole and kids, teachers, RCMP members and parents are all responsible for getting it right but i don't expect any quick success on this one.

[the truth]

As long as children don't understand the dangers that is coddling. Children should be taught how to behave when walking on a roadway with no sidewalks, why does everything revolve around protecting the children without teaching them how to behave. It needs to begin while they are still impressionable and it will stick with them for life(and yes it can start when they are in kindergarten....playschool even).

Placing both blame and responsibility on drivers is just wrong.

i agree with you 100 per cent, that being said,i pick up my kids everyday and the amount of parents that speed and text while driving in the school zone is sickening i see it everyday -no bs-

[fluid power]

2 points to make:

1)I think cars parking on the side of the roads is a major concern and the root cause of this accident. Not just in front of schools, but in many places. It Shouldn't be allowed anywhere unless there are specific provisions made for parking spaces.

2)Speed humps are not meant to slow a car down if it is already going the speed limit. Speed humps are designed to impact on vehicles going more than 10km over the speed limit. So, if you see a car going over a speed hump without slowing down, it doesn't mean they don't work. I do agree however, in this case, that the hump in front on Shannon Lake School is very shallow.

[TazzTheCat]

2 points to make:

1)I think cars parking on the side of the roads is a major concern and the root cause of this accident. Not just in front of schools, but in many places. It Shouldn't be allowed anywhere unless there are specific provisions made for parking spaces.

I think the root cause of this accident was the parent that was not watching their child. Had the parent been holding their small child's hand, the kid might not have darted in to traffic. Thank god the SUV was going slow and this ended the way it did. But for these parents to make a giant stink and deflect what actually happened, is a little odd. Blame Blame Blame.... I'll bet they never let their little 'little' get out of the car with out holding her hand again. At least let's hope so...for the kids sake.
And I agree - there should not be any parking on the sides of that road in the school zone.

[Bsuds]

there should not be any parking on the sides of that road in the school zone.

My God! Where would the parents park? The poor little (read overweight) kids might have to walk a block or 2! (sarcasm off)

[Fancy]

I don't think she was hit in the school zone but on Shannon Place. What makes you think the parent was even with their child? Lots of kids walk to school on their own.

[TazzTheCat]

I don't think she was hit in the school zone but on Shannon Place. What makes you think the parent was even with their child? Lots of kids walk to school on their own.

Point taken. I thought I remembered hearing the Dad on the news say something about (a parent) being with her. I may be wrong though. I'll do some digging.

[teke]

Her dad WAS with her.

[Donald G]

This caption says "Girl hit by SUV". Another caption says "SUV runs in Ditch". It seems to me that that must be one very dumb or inexperienced SUV to be out on the road on its own like that.

[Donald G]

Driver education has to take into account that until a child reaches their teen years they are STRONGLY governed by emotional responses to what they see, hear or think about. The left frontal cortex that provides sober second (intellectual) thought to govern their initial emotional response is not yet very well developed.

That is why adult drivers HAVE TO make allowances for children to do many questionable things, like step in front of a vehicle. If their ball or pen drops onto the road they immediately go to get it. If they see a friend across the road they head for the friend. If they hear about a lost kitten they go with the person to find it.

Children act mainly on emotional impulse rather than intellectual reasoning regarding whether to carry through with their initial emotional impulse or not. It is a completely developmental thing that is beyond their control.