By Michael Sinclair
POLICE have issued a severe warning to residents and motorists to take greater care on Caroline Springs Boulevard during school times after a nine-year-old boy was hit by a car on his way to school.
And last week’s accident – from which the schoolboy escaped with minor injuries – has also prompted a call from the area’s top cop to parents, reminding them to reinforce to their children the importance of road safety.
“The message to parents is to educate their children in how to get to and from school safely,” Senior Sergeant Warren Greene told Star last week.
Police say the boy, who was riding his bicycle to school at the time, failed to stop at pedestrian crossing before being hit by a car at the intersection of Caroline Springs Boulevard and Lake Drive last Monday. Sen-Sgt Greene said the incident could have been much worse had the schoolboy not been wearing a safety helmet, and he urged all motorists to be more aware around school zones.
“We want to impress on people to be really aware of school kids walking and riding bikes before and after school, because the kids’ road awareness is not as good as adults,” Sen-Sgt Greene said.
“It is also timely to remind all kids that they need to be wearing their helmets when they are out on their bikes. This accident highlights the value of a helmet because the kid walked away.”
Caroline Springs police were highly visible outside Christ The Priest Primary School last Friday morning and will be on the lookout for speeding motorists there over the next few months.
Police will also reinforce the message of road safety to students at local schools.
But Sen-Sgt Greene said parents could also play a part in protecting their children.
“We’d ask that parents who are dropping their children off, or picking them up from school, do so in a safe manner and prmarily in a safe spot,” he said.
“We’ve got a real problem with people double-parking and we want motorists to be more aware of other road users and children twho are out there.”
The Traffic Management Unit has been monitoring motorists speeding excessively along Caroline Springs Blvd and Taylors Rd during the past month.
In a recent case, a Kealba man was disqualified for a year after being clocked on Anzac Day doing 120km/h in a 60/km/h stretch of the boulevard.
The 22-year-old driver was fined $451 and got eight demerit points.
