Community members Fraser Young and Angela Case-Ryll are pushing to improve safety on Pottery Road.

The section of Pottery Road sitting right by Hillview Elementary School is their main concern, there's no shoulder and vehicles often speed through the zone.

“Almost every day we see children crossing the road here trusting that traffic will look out for them,” said Case-Ryll with the Hillview PAC Safety Team.

Young said children have limited area to walk, “There's not enough room for two kids to stand side by side. If you're on a bike, you're one little move away from getting clipped by a vehicle."

Case-Ryle told Castanet the road's problems are most highlighted during drop-off and pick-up.

“If we can direct the children through a safe path to a directed crosswalk, then they're on one side of the road. We can avert a lot of possible accidents from happening,” said Case-Ryll.

The Regional District of North Okanagan told Castanet that road rights of way in electoral areas are provincial jurisdiction. The Ministry of Transportation and Transit did not provide a response to request for comment.

According to a 2019 Parks Master Plan by the RDNO, there are proposals for trails to be installed along Pottery Road to Mountainview Road, just west of Francis Street where Hillview Elementary sits. It's not clear if the proposed trail would allow students to bypass Pottery Road, and increase safety for them.

Both Young and Case-Ryll believe a major accident could happen if changes aren’t made.

“We can't let this perpetuate, because one accident will be too many,” said Case-Ryll.

The Hillview PAC has also started a petition to increase safety within the area.

It's not the first time safety concerns have been raised about the road, a vehicle rollover in May 2024 prompted a concerned parent to call for change.