Iqaluit deputy mayor, city remind drivers to follow school bus rules
Kim Smith warns drivers to ‘do better’ after witnessing vehicles overtake stopped bus
A school bus rounds a turn at Iqaluit’s four corners intersection. The city has sent out another reminder to drivers to be safe as buses pick up and drop off kids. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)
Updated on Monday, September 16, 2024 at 1 a.m. ET.
It may only be the second week of the school year, but City of Iqaluit officials are reminding drivers to be safe around school buses as kids are being picked up and dropped off.
Deputy Mayor Kim Smith spoke about the issue at last week’s council meeting, reminding drivers in both directions that they need to stop when a school bus’s red lights are flashing and its stop sign is out.
Last Tuesday, she said she saw two vehicles near the hospital hill overtake a stopped school bus.
“I, of course, laid on my horn and pointed to the school bus, and when the driver was alerted to his error he graciously gave me the (middle) finger,” she said.
“To that guy, do better, and to everyone, do better.”
Smith reminded people that the fine for overtaking a school bus in that manner is $1,000.
After Tuesday’s council meeting, Smith said Iqaluit is a small city and there’s no need to rush past a school bus like that.
She floated the suggestion that school buses be equipped with cameras to catch license plates of passing vehicles.
“Putting this solely on municipal enforcement isn’t necessarily fair, it’s a pretty hard thing to catch in the act,” she said.
“I’m certain once people start getting $1,000 fines, the behaviour would stop pretty quick.”
The City of Iqaluit issued a public service announcement before the school year telling people to watch out for children and buses.
It encouraged children to be vigilant around roads, make eye contact with drivers while crossing, and follow the bus drivers’ rules.
It also reminded drivers to slow down around schools and areas where kids might be playing, and of course, do not pass a bus that has stopped with its lights flashing.
Correction: This article has been altered from its originally published version to correct the quotation from deputy Mayor Kim Smith, saying it isn’t “necessarily fair” to put the responsibility on municipal enforcement officers to catch drivers who pass school buses.
You got some good comments. However, the statement:
“It encouraged children to be vigilant around roads, make eye contact with drivers while crossing, and follow the bus drivers’ rules” has not brought any fruits yet. Observe the children and you’ll notice that the children run across the roads without paying any attention to the traffic. Children have a huge part in ensuring their own safety as well. You just cannot rely on a single STOP sign deploying from a bus. Parents must teach their children how to cross roads properly. Having this skill, combined with the (outdated) bus stopping arrangements, will keep roads more safe and students protected. It’s easy to blame everything on drivers, but children have, or have not learned will reflect a proper road behaviour growing up.
Sounds like someone doesn’t stop for school buses
I wish I would be a smart as you Mr. T. Maybe you should call Lotto numbers instead of posting this stupid comment
Is that bus stopped in the middle of a turn, i can understand the cunfusion
The “salute” was the driver showing you his age and i.q.
And most likely doesn’t understand not speak English and can’t understand the signage on the school bus.
Or thinks that traffic laws don’t apply in “None of it.”😂
aqutiit ujjiqsuttiarialiit pisuktunit.
I am glad someone is calling out this dangerous behavior.
Not everyone is familiar with how school busses operate. Perhaps, instead of yelling and thinking everyone should know better the City could educate drivers who may be new to Iqaluit or Canada for that matter. The fact that the idea to install cameras to fine people upwards of around $1000 shows that the City doesn’t even understand that not all drivers may be aware of how to drive in the vicinity of a school bus. Perhaps, an educating campaign is in order as the City’s first order of business.
Education before enforcement.
I’m pretty sure not passing school bus while stopped and loading with kids is part of all written and road tests all across Canada. It’s not the City’s fault drivers are not paying attention
Increased enforcement and $1,000 fines would be an effective education campaign. That message will get around town really quickly.
We need to remember that for most people in Iqaluit with regular mobility, cars are a luxury not a necessity. If someone can’t drive safely they should not be driving at all.
If you don’t know how to drive in the vicinity of a school bus you should not have a license.
Ignorance wasn’t a module on the traffic test
Typical; it is someone else’s fault. Installing cameras to fining people upwards of around $1000 is a stupid idea, especially if it saves a life of a child. (Sarcasm)
Next, we will expect doctors to understand medicine before they operate on someone. (also Sarcasm)
This comment section is so in its feelings. I am not defending these drivers but rather offering a proactive solution while observing the issue at hand through a logical and objective lens. My bad if that doesn’t suit your emotional knee-jerk reactions.
Did you know the average person forgets about 50% of newly learned information within one hour? Have you ever wondered why doctor’s offices are filled with textbooks? It is not for show I can promise you.
Have you noticed a recent issue in Canada, due to significant increases in immigration, is we are seeing trends of foreigners who aren’t fully aware of the laws and regulations in the places they are taking up residence. Did you also know in some provinces, (ie – Ontario) depending on the country you arrive from you can simply exchange your drivers license for an Ontario license. No examination required. Also, Nunavut is listed as one of the easiest places to get a license compared to other provinces and territories.
Thought about it more than you.
Sarcasm not required.
getting a license in nunavut is a joke, my road test was a drive from the DMV to the AWG arena than back, its no wonder our drivers are so bad over,
Really, you think new drivers do not need to know the rules so we should accept this and make provisions and new rational for their driving skills. I would like to know your thoughts are on Sharia law, child marriages and drunk driving? These are also laws and customs in other countries,
Sorry if my emotional knee-jerk reaction about people following the basic rules of the land seem out of touch with your reality.
MARS, in order to get a valid Nunavut driver’s license, one must first read the booklet and pass a written and a practical test. A qualified driver should already be educated as to how school buses, school crossings etc. operate. If they aren’t aware of these rules then they have no business operating a motor vehicle.
Isn’t it a pretty fundamental rule of the road to stop for a school bus flashing red lights? Anyone pleading ignorance to that fact should have their license revoked.
So what’s the rush. You can cross the entire town in 10 minutes except for the rush minute(s) which happens 3 times a day. Especially gn workers, no one cares if your late or show up at all. If you don’t know about bus rules, you never passed a driver’s exam or never went to school which had bus service from the age of 5 until you graduated.
“Driving is a privilege” isn’t a suggestion or some new concept. That learn how must be hard.
Deputy Mayor Kim Smith spoke about the issue at last week’s council meeting .. “I, of course, laid on my horn and pointed to the school bus, and when the driver was alerted to his error he graciously gave me the (middle) finger,” she said. “To that guy, do better, and to everyone, do better.”
Sounds like grandstanding, as usual; do better, Kimberly, do better
Maybe the Deputy Mayor would also like to notify the town about that time she got a speeding ticket. Where was her sense of public safety then?
She is trying to deliver a public service message and you call it grandstanding. Good for her. Would you prefer she simply ignore it and then be accused of doing nothing. Come on.
A public service message can be delivered without making yourself a central figure .google main character syndrome.
There are as many as 16 councilor statements per month. How many make the news?
The Deputy Mayor’s decision to raise this issue with an engaging anecdote is why we are now talking about the safety of our school children.
For real? People in Iqaluit don’t even know how to cross a road properly and safely, and you are calling out on the drivers? lol
I don’t think immigrants and their driving skills are to blame, or even worth to bring up.
suspend drivers that commit this… it literally takes 10 min to get anywhere in city. no excuse to run a kid over
Perhaps one last question, For the Councillor.
DID YOU REPORT THIS INCIDENT TO THE RCMP OR BYLAW?
Or did you, as so many others do, complain and not want to get involved