Busy Kelowna school zone gets a ‘Pavement Patty’

It’s no secret that a lot of drivers fail to appropriately slow down in school zones.

A new B.C.-wide survey from BCAA and Insights West showed that kids are at an even higher risk in school zones than you might have believed.

The survey quizzed elementary school principals and teachers, as well as parents who do drop off and pick up, and this is what it found:

• 80% witnessed speeding
• 73% witnessed not stopping for crosswalks
• 78% saw parents encouraging their kids to do unsafe things, such as crossing at a non-designated area
• 74% report no improvement in key driving behaviours, saying levels of distracted driving, ignoring road rules or traffic signs are about the same as or worse than last year
• A staggering 56% witnessed at least one near miss – a child almost hit by a car – this back to school week

As a result, a special piece of art is being painted into a number of school zones across B.C., including at Rutland Elementary School in Kelowna.

“We have brought back Pavement Patty to remind drivers that even at low speeds, children can be seriously injured or killed,” said Dr. Ian Pike, co-director of Preventable. “Slow down, leave the phone alone, and give the road your full attention.”

The illusion made its debut in 2010 and it’s been highly successful in catching driver’s attention and slowing them down.

Sadly, it’ll only be installed in front of Rutland Elementary until Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 4 p.m.