Page 30, Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, October 19, 1994 CIinc0on seat saf ety s isAcar seat satbty clinic wiII be sYýtem. 0Oshawa Centre, Region of Dur- '6cýA n lqtlidav9Oc. 2.f1 General Motors will have a ham. Health Departnient and Twe weeke ago my husband and I decided te make our alniost-annual trip te Hershey, Pa. This tewn, seme 400 miles south, is fameus for (you guessed it) choclate, but each falli its aise known for the werld's largeet antique car fleaI market. We teck the 401 te the bidge at Gananoque, noticing oe photo radar van doing its duty just outside ef Port Hope. There weren't toc man>' speeders, but there sure were pient>' ef peope driving, either cutting into traffic at the entrance ranips or dawdling along them and heping someone would slow down te let them in. Then we croesed ente Interstate 81 in New York, and it was like driving inte another worid. We could hardI>' believe, our eyes. Very few people were exceeding the speed limit (perhaps due te the fines posted on the side et the road), but that wasn't what we noticd. Ne, we were amazed at how man>' people actuailly understood how the highway systemn is supposed te, work. With ver>' few exceptions (most et them wearing Ontario or Quebec license plates), there were ne cars driving in the ieft-hand lana. Drivers whe wanted te pase put on their turn signais, moved inte the ieft-hand lane and passed, usually at enly a lightly higher rate cf speed since the left-hand lane was theirs alone. As soon as it was safe te de se, the signal would corne back on, and the driver weuld return te the proper right-hand lane te continue hie trip. We didn't see any tailgaters because there wasn't an>' need. It was always a srnooth move inte the empty left-hand lane te get around the élower car, and then back again. You rnay argue that this was onl>' possible because the highway wasn't crowded. However, we saw exactly the same behavieurs in the bus>' sections through Syracuse. and Binghanipton. Where we didn't soc this tyee driving Was the 401, which was ne busier than 81. Such driving patterns aise had an effect on the . many tracter-trailers we saw. These drivers aIse had the benerit ef an empty left-han& lane for passing, which they -did in exacti>' the same smooth manner, with' none ef the tailgating, emergency braking and frantic shifting that we see when a "left-lane bandit"' in a car is completel>' oblivieus te, the fact that, a fully-loaded 18-wheeler ie trying te gain enough momentum behind him te inake it up the, next bl. Since mest et Pennsylvania le under construction -- it'll be a nice state if they every get. it finished1 -- we expected long dlays, and were pleasantly surprised when. we were only mildiy inconvenienced. Both New York and Pennsylvania must each own five million traffic pylens and they ver>' generouely: start laying them eut and closing off lanes throc or four miles befere the actuai roadwork begins. By the tine the cars get te the action, the drivers are comfertable with their lanes and the new driving patterns and traffic moves smoothiy through SEE PAGE 31 a.m. te 3 p m., at the northwest corner of tEhe Oshawa Centre. There will be a drive-through checkpoint lane and drivers will receive a free (ne-penalty) in- spection ef their child restraint safe use ef car seats in vehicles with air bags, and new cars and v~ans with built-in car seats. The Canadian Automobile Association, General Motors, DR I V ING. SAFELY with RANDY RANDY McLEAN I5 A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER WHO SpECIAUZES IN TAf FIC SAFETY. M. McLean has revlewed thousands of individual mo6tor vehicle accident reports and his close working relationshlps with police encles, governmnents. safety asa ations, industryan e public, have given hlm a true overview of traffic safety issues. problemfs and solutions in Canadaà . WHEN IS A SCHIOOL BUS A CROSSWALK? Schoel is back in full swing and those big chrome yellow school buses are back eut on the roads. Most' motoriste are generally aware that they are required te stop when appreaching a schoel bus with its red signal ligh%'tsa flashing. But very few of us knew exactly what the law requires,, and based on the commente of echeel bus drivers, tee many of us do net appreciate the potential danger cf passing a stepped school. bus. In Ontario, when approaching a stepped school bus with its red signal lights flashing, the Hfighway Traffic Act requires: 0 ail motorists, in ail lanes, travelling in the same directien as the bus (iLe. approaching the bus from the rear) must stop at least 20 metres (65 feet) behind the school bus; .*eail motorista, in ail lanes, travelling in the opposite direction te the bus (iLe. approaching the bus from the front) muet aise stop unless the twe directions ef travel are separated by a median strip. The Highway Traffic -Act clearly defines a lemedian strip" as a physical bamrer such as a guardrail, or an unpavedstrip ef greund such volved in staging the event. A study of seat belts and re- straints h s feund that 75 per cent of child restraints have been improperi>' installed. as a %vide grass boulevard. A painted centreline, or cross-hatched pavement marings are net considered te be a median strip. Traffic in both directions must corne te a stop where only these or similar paint markcings separate the two directions cf travel.,'When., required te stop, you may net proceed until- the, school bus moves or the red signal hights have stepped flashing. If yeu think that some school bus drivers begin te flash their lights tee soon and wait Itee long te turn them off, you shoiuld aise, know, that, except when the bus stop 19 loicated *at.a. signalized intersection, school bus drivers are required by law to: *begin flashing their red signal lights before they corne te, a full stop; *extenid.the stop sign armi attached te. the side of the bus as soon as the* bus ie stoppeýd-Jb e continue te operate the flashing red signal lights and display the stop sign until ail passengers have boairded or left the bus; and, *where there is ne médian strip, dispia>' the. flashing lights and stop sign' ùntilal passengers leaving the bus and wanting te, cross the road have completed the crossing. Now that we understand the law, it ia easy te, see that the schoel bus with its flashing red signal lights andextondable stop sign arm, is actually a travelling school crosswaik. Se when approaching a stopped schooi bus, remember -- a child may be about te cross *the read in front of your vehicle. The shape and size ef the school bus itself ma>' prevent yeu from, seeing children at the side cf the road, and don't rel>' on them te see you. To a small child, a friend or parent waiting on the far side of the, street ma>' be an irresistable temptatien te run te, without looking for oncorning traffic. Besides, we adults taught them that crosswalks and school buses are safe p laces. WVe aise teach them about the dangers ef crossing roads, but fortunately, most chiildren have ne ability at aIl te comprehend how much p-ain a speeding car can cause -- we adulte do. Children will net aiways act: responsibiy, they rel>' on us. 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