With children out of school for a well-deserved summer break, motorists know they need to be extra cautious. It is a message that bears repeating, but safety works both ways.
Parents, talk to your children about the need for them to keep safety in mind when they are outside playing or around the water. It’s also especially important to talk to your children when will be riding their bikes, walking on busy roadways or anything that might see them in close proximity to moving vehicles. If your child isn’t road wise, then they shouldn’t be near a roadway unsupervised.
Last Friday there was a close call in Butlerville when a nine-year-old girl was involved in a collision with a dump truck.
According to the RCMP the child was riding her bicycle when she veered into oncoming traffic. The operator of the dump truck applied his brakes upon seeing the child coming in his direction. The child struck the truck and fell off her bike. There were believed to be no injuries as a result of this incident, however the child was taken to the hospital to be assessed.
According to the RCMP, the child was not wearing a helmet at the time of this incident. This is a definite safety concern, and one that can be easily addressed by just ensuring your child wears the proper safety equipment.
There are so many ways this incident could have had a different outcome. The girl is lucky to have walked away from this incident with her life. It is a scary situation, but it is one that should make parents sit up and take notice.
Accidents happen, but if you prepare your child as best you can you are taking whatever steps you can to ensure this is a safe and happy summer for your family.
Moose warning
Recently the RCMP in Lewisporte urged the motoring public to be vigilant while travelling due to an increased number of moose sightings in the Lewisporte and surrounding areas.
This past weekend (June 23) the RCMP responded to a moose/vehicle collision five kilometres west of Norris Arm on the Trans Canada Highway.
The vehicle was extensively damaged, with the two female occupants in their 60’s being trapped in the vehicle. The Jaws of Life were required to extract them from the vehicle. Both were transported to hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Witnesses on the scene of the accident said there were still two young moose roaming the highway in the area.
A further reminder to drive defensively and slow your speed.
Fire ban
Keeping with the safety theme, the Department of Natural Resources is implementing an outdoor fire ban for forest land on the island portion of the province as of June 24.
The dry weather and hot temperatures that were experienced over the couple of weeks leading up to June 24 heightened the forest fire threat throughout many areas.
Unauthorized burning such as campfires and brush burning cannot take place in and around forested areas. The ban will be lifted when the weather and forest conditions warrant.
For more information contact the District Forest Office in your area. The numbers can be found at www.gov.nl.ca/nr/department/contact/forestry/forestry.html.
The evacuation of the communities of North West River and Sheshatshiu in Labrador this past weekend should serve as a caution of the power a forest fire can have. It is up to each and every one of us to adhere to this ban and take precautions in and around forested areas to try and prevent forest fires.
— Karen Wells
.jpg )
