Honourable Monique Smith, MPP for Nipissing and Minister of Revenue and the Honourable Peter Fonseca, Minister of Tourism accepted a $5,000 cheque from Insurance Bureau of Canada. Photos provided.
Honourable Monique Smith, MPP for Nipissing and Minister of Revenue and the Honourable Peter Fonseca, Minister of Tourism accepted a $5,000 cheque from Insurance Bureau of Canada. Photos provided.
Insurance Bureau of Canada News Release
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MATTAWA – Visitors to the opening ceremonies of Voyageur Days shared a poignant moment when Deb Ranger accepted a $5,000 cheque from Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) in support of Let’s Remember Adam – Stop for the School Bus!
Adam Ranger was just five years old when he was struck and killed by a truck as he stepped off his school bus on February 11, 2000 in Mattawa. Let's Remember Adam is a school bus safety initiative developed by Adam’s family to honour his memory by increasing public awareness of Ontario's School Bus Stopping Law.
“When IBC brought its Safety Expo to North Bay in 2005, we made a donation of $10,000 to expand the Adam campaign so that his message could make its way from the back of school buses in Mattawa to the school buses in North Bay,” said Nancy Martin, IBC’s Community Relations Manager.
“We believe that ‘Stop For the School Bus’ is a message that cannot be repeated enough. We must constantly remind drivers of the tragic consequences that can result if they do not know and observe the law. When we decided to bring our latest road safety initiative to Voyageur Days, we were honoured to continue the tradition of supporting the Let’s Remember Adam campaign,” she added.
“My family and I are thrilled that IBC has made another generous donation to Let’s Remember Adam,” said Deb Ranger, Adam’s mother. “This money will go far in helping to raise public awareness of school bus safety issues and to help protect those most precious to us all, our children. It is with great pride and thanks that we accept this donation in memory of our son and brother, Adam.”
“I would like to thank the Ranger family for their strength and determination to prevent this heartbreak from happening to other families in our community. It is another demonstration of what a caring community this is – a community that I am proud to represent,” said Hon. Monique Smith, MPP for Nipissing and Minister of Revenue. “IBC should also be recognized for its continuing support. This donation will help to ensure that Adam’s important message continues to reach a greater number of people,” she added.
Know the rules of the road
“Many people believe the stop arm is required to be out and visible to the driver before there is a requirement to stop -- but that is not the case,” said Jeff Griffith, Regional Planner of the Road Safety Marketing Office, Ontario Ministry of Transportation and a member of the Let’s Remember Adam School Bus Safety Committee.
The Ontario Highway Traffic Act states:
Every driver or street car operator when meeting, on a highway other than a highway with a median strip, a stopped school bus that has its overhead red signal-lights flashing, shall stop before reaching the bus and shall not proceed until the bus moves or the overhead red signal-lights have stopped flashing." (HTA 175 (11))
Every driver or street car operator on a highway, when approaching from the rear a stopped school bus that has its overhead red signal lights flashing, shall stop at least twenty metres before reaching the bus and shall not proceed until the bus moves or the overhead red signal-lights have stopped flashing." (HTA 175 (12))
The penalties for illegally passing a stopped school bus were doubled in 1997. For a first offence, there is a fine of $400 to $2,000, and six demerit points. For a second conviction, the fine is $1,000 to $4,000, six demerit points, and the possibility of a jail sentence.
Insurance Bureau of Canada is the national industry association representing Canada’s private home, car and business insurers. Its member companies represent nearly 95% of the property and casualty (P&C) insurance market in Canada. The P&C insurance industry employs over 104,000 Canadians, pays more than $6 billion in taxes to the federal and provincial governments, and has a total premium base of $35 billion. To view news releases and information, visit the media section of IBC’s website at www.ibc.ca.
