WHITBY FREE PRESS, DURHAM MOVES. N<)VEMBER 11, 191r, I~ie/t Sehool guards deserve better treat ment frmdrvs By PETER BRAMMA Durham Regloilal Police When children are walking to and from schooi most are usually with brothers, sisters or school friends. Although some walk alone even the mo st solitary chiid wili usually have a friend to meet on the way. This friend will be an aduit. No need to worry, though. This friend is only concerned with the child's safety. He or she is the school crossing guard. Crossing guards love kids. If they didn't the job just would not be wor- thwhile -out there on the street in ail weather, with lots of respon- sibiiity and littie pay. It's the knowledge that the children are depending on the guards to keep them safe that gives the job reai value. A strong sense of respon- sibiiity and concern for children is PETER BRAMMA when children are going to and from school, have to slow down and be prepared to stop. Upon being stopped by the guard remember flot to proceed until the guard leaves the roadway. You neyer know, a child might run out after the main group has been crossed and the guard is returning to the curb. An additional signailing device the guard will be using is the whistle. When the guard is about to enter the roadway he~ or she will blow the whistle once. The second whistle will signal the children that it is now safe to cross. The third whistie will be blown when the guard steps off the roadway after the children are safely across. This third whistle is a signal to the traf- fic that it is now safe to proceed. Drivers have to be very cautious when turning right or left at guard- controlled intersections. Concen- vehicles in and around the intersec- tion, it's easy to forget about the guard wh o may be crossing children just around the corner. Disobeying the guard in this type of situation is quite common. Traffic safety is everyone'5 they understafld the three whistle system and follow the instructions of the guard. Drivers have to be cautious and courfeous at sehool crossings. Let's ail do our part in keeping the eidren safe. ÀA Subaru Four Wheel D-rive For Under $iO,OOO0 The 1988 J7usty 4 WD is Here!!, STANDARD 1.2 Litre engifle - Four wheetdrive on demafld - 5 speed - Ctoth seatS - Fuîl carpetiflg - AMIFM stereo - Rear detroster - Rear window wiper/washer - 50/50 fold clown rear seats - Tinted glass - 5 yrJlOO.OOO km P.T. warraflty CHILDREN CROSS Anderson St. at Rib- blesdale on their way to school. Police Say motorists don't always stop for crossing guards. Free Press photo Only $9797.0 (plus f reig ht, PDI1, tax and Lic.) C& C MOTOR SALES LTD. a:155 King St. W. Oshawa 579-6224 not unusual among crossiflg guar- ds, and often a firm bond of frien- dship is built up between them and the children they cross. Crossing guards are usually very dedicated to their job and often stay with it for many years. They cer- tainly deserve our respect for the excellent work, but unfortunately they often don't get it. As any police officer can tell you, directing traffic is always a dangerous duty to perform, and crossing guards have to face that kind of danger every day. Injury and even death are a real possibility every time they go on duty. Guards often have to wait for their children at busy intersections, and this in itself is dangerous. Back in 1983, Jacoba DeBres, a crossing guard who worked at Garden and Dundas Streets in Whitby, was killed as she waited at the corner. She was standing on the sidewall when an accident took place in the intersection. Tragically one of the cars, af ter impact with another, mounted the curb and crossed the sidewalk where Jacoba stood and ran her down. The officers in Police community services work closely with the crossing guards throughout the region. We initially train guards and try to visit them at their crossing locations as often as we can to see how things are going. Also, if there are complailits of traf fic ciolations at school crossings we do the follow-up in- vestigation or extra traffic enfor- cernent in the area when required. And we certainly receive plenty of complaints of poor driving at school crossings. Crossing guards deserve, but of- ten don't get, the best of treatment frorn drivers. By law, drivers must respect their authority. It is man- datory to stop for school crossing guards guiding children across the road. The guards ail wear a reflec- tive traffic vest and carry a red and white stop sign. Failure to stop for this sign could make a driver sub- jeet to a standard fine of $53.75 plus three demerit points. Drivers, when you are ap- proaching a school crossing where the guard is on duty or at a time Lock system reduces thefts For years car thieves have been successful breaking into cars by using what's commonly referred to as a "Slim Jim,", a thin metal strip slipped down between the window and door. However, Generai Motors has developed a thef t- detering, shieided door lock that features a steel shroud to protect the interior locking mechanism from entry by a "ISlim Jiîn" device. Introduced on General Motors' ersonal iuxury cars this past year. ~e manul door lock system is standard equipment on the new Chevrolet Beretta, Corsica and Pontiac Tempest model lines in- troduced ini early 1987. In addition to improved anti-theft protection, the shielded door lock system offers increased ease of operatiori -and helps improve reliabllity of the door lock system. 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