Pictured here is Star, she was up for adoption when we were creating this safety content but has since been adopted and I am sure she is enjoying her new home with her family.
Our pets are a part of our family, and to some, they are our children. Remember to keep them safe and cool in the summer heat. Now that fall is here, we may not have to worry about the hot summer temperatures, but we do have to remember these tips for when summer comes around again. Lavina, Amanda, & Star Lavina, Amanda, & Star Safety content is being created each and every day. I want to say a huge thank you to our volunteers, our subscribers, our members, and our community champions for your help in creating, sharing, and helping us work towards a province of safety excellence in Saskatchewan! If you would like to become a volunteer with us, please reach out, we would be overjoyed to work with you. You can send an email to: volunteer@sasksafety.org today. Thanks for taking time to read the Blog. For now, we have to say good-bye to summer, and hello to fall! Stay tuned everyone, more safety content is on the way.
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Driving through a school zone is more than simply slowing down to 30 km/h. It also requires a strong layer of attention and patience, which are most effective when they are working hand in hand. This gives drivers the ability to better react to a potentially sudden situation. A child can be injured just as severely by a car driving at 30 km/h as one moving at 50km/h however the reduced speed gives the driver much more control of the vehicle and the ability to pay more attention to the surroundings. An excellent safe practice is to create a wider school zone area than that of the posted 30km/h signs. You don’t necessarily have to slow down (it would be great if you did) but widening the zone by a few blocks has many benefits. You mentally prepare yourself before entering the actual school zone instead of spending the first block paying your attention to slowing down. As well, children are walking to and from school much farther away than the school zone so you’re creating an even safer environment for them to walk in. This is especially important during the winter season. Keep in mind the attention of a child can be very narrow. While they understand safety rules and procedures, such as looking both ways before crossing a street, they may not be able to see a potential problem as far ahead as an adult. Therefore, it is up to the driver to take up the responsibility and make sure we’re ready for anything that can happen in a school zone. Slow down, pay attention, and make safety the right choice. School Buses School buses are a unique vehicle on the road. They make frequent stops, often in places that other vehicles don’t such as railway crossings. They have access to areas that we aren’t used to accounting for in normal traffic flow which can catch us by surprise. They also have a lot of lights and signs that can be confusing for other drivers to understand what exactly to do since there are different models of school buses and different laws that apply to them. If we aren’t prepared for all of the extra possible scenarios a school bus can present to us, then the chances of an incident increase. The best way to start preparing yourself is to know the school bus laws. Each city, town and village has their own bylaws for school buses so if you move to a new area, check with City Hall for clarification. For Regina and Saskatoon, the use of flashing safety lights and bus stop arms are prohibited. While this seems odd, there are actually very good reasons for this. As Sgt. Koroluk from the Regina Police Service states:
Another way to adjust your driving during the school season is to leave 5-10 minutes earlier than normal for work for the first few weeks of September. This will give you that extra time to deal with increased traffic in school zones and to compensate if you have school buses in front of you that make frequent stops. If you find after those few weeks that there isn’t any interruption, then go ahead and take back those extra 10 minutes of sleep! Not only will making this time adjustment make sure you get to work on time, it also ensures that you keep calm during your drive. If a school bus is holding you up and making you late for work, your stress level will increase. You might accelerate quickly around a bus or speed above the limit after the bus isn’t in front of you which greatly increases your chance of a traffic incident. Then you’ll be late for work and you potentially injure someone. Take the time to plan for the increased traffic changes from school buses. Students, parents, and bus drivers will all appreciate you for it. A popular practice for the police during the school year is to set up speed radars in school zones. It is a pretty sure bet that every school zone in your city or town will see a police setup within the first few weeks of the school year.
A vehicle takes a longer distance to stop even at slightly higher speeds. A simple concept, yes, but it’s more than you may know.
According to Forensic Dynamics Inc., here is the stopping distance for vehicles travelling at 40/50/60 km/h in ideal conditions: 40 km/h = 8.6 meters 50 km/h = 14.05 meters 60 km/h = 20.24 meters These numbers, of course, can vary depending on the type of vehicle, tires, etc. however the point is that even from 40 to 50 km/h there is a significant difference in how long it takes your vehicle to stop. It would be a true achievement if a school zone speed radar blitz issued zero tickets. That is the goal of the police service and it should be everyone else’s goal as well to make safety the right choice and not speed. Tips to keep your stairs and stairways safe. Have tips you'd like to share? Comment below. Knowing how to properly insert an earplug will pay off in the bedroom and in the workplace. The later leading to an increase in the possibility that you may actually be able to hear your grandchildren wish you a happy birthday. The definition of “community” is a group of people living in the same place or having a characteristic in common and a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals. Here at the Saskatchewan Safety Council, we are dedicated to the prevention of injury across our province, creating a province of safety excellence! Do we want everyone to make safety their number one priority? Yes, absolutely! With your help, we can spread the word and spread the action, prevent injury in Saskatchewan… at home, at play, and at work. Being out in the community, allows me to engage and interact with others, show the great work we are trying to accomplish and hear feedback on what is needed in the communities as well.
My name is Amanda LePine and I am the Community Relations Coordinator with the Saskatchewan Safety Council. Born and raised here in Regina, I’ve seen how the city has changed and how it has grown. I love our city, and am proud to be a city-girl from Regina, SK. Every day, I learn more about the places, people and cultures that are in the community. Interacting with people brings me such joy and being out in the community, learning new things, and building relationships is what excites me about future possibilities. Lavina Wagner, our Content Specialist and I have been busy safety bees the last couple of months- making connections, taking video footage and pictures for our content that we are working hard to create. We are creating informative safety videos for the simple tasks that you may do every day, but are we doing the task safely? Riding a bike, wearing a helmet, and using your stair case at home, are you holding the railing when going up or down? Do you have a railing installed? Tips and tricks on how to be cautious in your bathroom, living room, laundry room and outside of your home, having tools and checklists in place will allow you to be prepared for a potential hazard, and to realize something you do every single day may not be the safest way to complete the task at hand. That’s what Darlene helped us with, doing what she does every day on video: laundry, walking up and down the stairs, making a cup of coffee, folding towels, simple tasks that will help us build our content for our informational videos! Lavina and I arranged a meeting with a roofing professional named David who has been roofing since he was 17 years old. He allowed us take footage of him preparing for a roofing job, showed us how to safely wear and assemble a harness. Are you safe for the job and using Adventuring out into the community we made connections with the Regina Senior Centre on Winnipeg Street. We were fortunate to attend one of their afternoons of dance, three hours of polka, line dancing and meeting those who took time out of their day to attend this amazing event (which is open to all ages by the way!). Lavina and I boogied to the music and bless miss Gladys’ heart who tried to teach me to line dance, but I have two left feet (which I inherited from my mother, thanks mom!). Then we joined the fellas in the Pool Room and got to chat with those who have been going to the center for years. To play, they purchase tickets or become members with the center, but when you hit the age of 90, you play for free! Mr. Abel was celebrating his 91st birthday on April 17, 2019. We got to sing him happy birthday and enjoy some delicious cake! Gabe, an 88-year-old member has been coming to the center for years. You can find him in the Pool Room every Wednesday and Friday enjoying a good game of pool with great people, staying active and having fun while doing so. I look forward to meeting and interacting with others in our community. We want to share your story, share your ideas, and the work we have done… together. In the meantime, don’t be a stranger, you can connect with me at any time, we are all part of this community. Did you know our province spends millions treating injuries associated with home falls? Taking the time to ensure your loved ones are as safe as possible at home could save you more than just money. The most common reason for permanent and total disability is falls. There have been years in which falls have cost the province of Saskatchewan over 300 million dollars. Residential falls in 2010 cost the province 153 million. The most common reason for injury around the home is a slip, trip, or fall. Find fall prevention resources here. |