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At the kick-off of a new school year CAA Manitoba (CAA MB) is reminding motorists to remain vigilant, especially when driving in school zones. Everyone has a responsibility to look out for those around them, including parents/guardians and children, as they travel to and from school.
“Parents and guardians across Manitoba have reported seeing unsafe driving behaviours in school zones, including double parking, speeding and stopping in moving traffic. Not only are these behaviours dangerous, they also could come with stiff penalties,” says Ewald Friesen, Manager, Government & Community Relations for CAA Manitoba.
Student buses in school zones and surrounding areas are common this time of year, and some drivers will be tempted to pass a stopped school bus when the vehicle’s arm is activated, and lights are flashing.
“Passing a school bus is not only illegal, but it also puts young lives at risk and is grounds for potential conviction of the driver,” says Friesen, “if convicted, a driver can face a hefty fine of $674 and two demerit points.”
This school year, CAA Manitoba hopes to educate and inspire the public to make responsible driving choices to protect children as they travel to and from their schools. “CAA Manitoba continues to advocate for the safety of all road users, including the ones excited to see their friends at school today,” Friesen adds.
Tips for responsible driving behaviours in school zone areas: • Help reduce traffic with active school travel: Encourage your kids to walk or wheel to school to ease traffic congestion. If your school is a further distance, CAA MB encourages parents and guardians to park a block away and walk to school to reduce traffic and make school zones safer.
• Put away distractions: Pedestrian safety begins with drivers. It’s important to put away distractions such as phones and be extra attentive in school zones, whether a parent is driving, or a child is walking to school.
• Slow down: Know and respect the speed limit in your neighbourhood’s school zones. Give yourself plenty of time to drop off your kids at school to avoid rushing.
• Choose a safe spot to drop off and pick up your children from school: Follow your school’s rules and avoid double parking or stopping on crosswalks, dropping off or picking up your kids on the opposite side of the street, and stopping in moving traffic as kids rush out. Instead, use the designated drop-off areas or consider a spot a bit farther away from school that is easily accessible and safe.
• Make eye contact with pedestrians: With the excitement of going back to school, anticipate that children may not easily see or hear your moving vehicle, so ensure to make eye contact with pedestrians crossing the road.
• Stop for school buses: Never pass a stopped school bus with an activated stop arm and flashing red lights as children get on and off the bus. Passing a school bus as it loads and unloads children – not only is this dangerous, but it’s also illegal.
• Watch for CAA School Safety Patrollers: When travelling to and from school, watch for CAA School Safety Patrollers in their lime green safety vests, as they play an important role in ensuring the roadway is safe before kids cross on their own.
CAA supports safety in school zones through the CAA School Safety Patrol® program. The program was developed to protect, educate and empower elementary school children on safe road-crossing practices.
To learn more, please visit http://www.caamanitoba.com/schoolzonesafety.
As the new school year kicks off, CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) is reminding motorists to remain attentive when driving through school zones as more children are present in these areas. A recent survey conducted by CAA SCO found that 60 per cent of parents surveyed are concerned about the driving behaviours witnessed in their child’s school zone and consider their child’s school zone unsafe – a five per cent increase from last year.
“It is no surprise that parents are concerned for the safety of their children; they have the right to get to and from school safely,” says Tracy Marshall, Manager, Community Relations for CAA SCO, “speeding, double parking and stopping in school bus zones are all commonly reported unsafe driving behaviours parents see in their child’s school zones.”
As a result, a majority of parents (85 per cent) support reducing speed limits in school zones, with over 77 per cent of these parents agreeing that 30km/h or less is the most appropriate speed limit.
Of those surveyed, 68 per cent of parents strongly support the use of Automatic Speed Enforcement (ASE) in school zones, and 79 per cent believe its presence would deter speeding around schools. Additionally, 3 in 4 (73 per cent) consider that ASE should remain permanent in school zones.
“Automated Speed Enforcement, along with the presence of police officers and speed bumps, continue to be identified as the primary measures to deter speeding in these zones,” adds Marshall, “through education, we hope to help motorists to make more responsible decisions behind the wheel to protect themselves and those around them.”
Tips for responsible driving behaviours in school zone areas: • Help reduce traffic with active school travel: Encourage your kids to walk or wheel to school to ease traffic congestion. If your school is a further distance, CAA SCO encourages parents and guardians to park a block away and walk to school to reduce traffic and make school zones safer.
• Put away distractions: Pedestrian safety begins with drivers. It’s important to put away distractions such as phones and be extra attentive in school zones, whether a parent is driving, or a child is walking to school.
• Slow down: Know and respect the speed limit in your neighbourhood’s school zones. Give yourself plenty of time to drop off your kids at school to avoid rushing.
• Choose a safe spot to drop off and pick up your children from school: Follow your school’s rules and avoid double parking or stopping on crosswalks, dropping off or picking up your kids on the opposite side of the street, and stopping in moving traffic as kids rush out. Instead, use the designated drop-off areas or consider a spot a bit farther away from school that is easily accessible and safe.
• Make eye contact with pedestrians: With the excitement of going back to school, anticipate that children may not easily see or hear your moving vehicle, so ensure to make eye contact with pedestrians crossing the road.
• Stop for school buses: Never pass a stopped school bus with an activated stop arm and flashing red lights as children get on and off the bus. Passing a school bus as it loads and unloads children – not only is this dangerous, but it’s also illegal.
• Watch for CAA School Safety Patrollers: When travelling to and from school, watch for CAA School Safety Patrollers in their lime green safety vests, as they play an important role in ensuring the roadway is safe before kids cross on their own.
CAA supports safety in school zones through the CAA School Safety Patrol® program, developed to protect and educate elementary school children on safe road-crossing practices. CAA’s Ontario Road Safety Resource is a toolkit with valuable lesson plans for teachers to help educate students about road safety.
To learn more, please visit www.caasco.com/schoolzone. The online survey was conducted by DIG Insights in May 2024, with 1,520 Ontario parents/guardians with children attending school from kindergarten to grade 8. Based on the sample size of n=1,520 and with a confidence level of 95 per cent, the margin of error for this research is +/- 2%.)
A recent study on dangerous driving conducted by CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) revealed that more than half of Ontario motorists, 55 per cent, admit to engaging in risky and unsafe driving behaviours in the past year. According to the survey, this number increases to 61 per cent amongst young drivers aged 18 to 34.
“Dangerous driving behaviours, such as speeding, distracted driving, and aggressive driving, continue to pose significant risks on our roads,” says Michael Stewart, community relations consultant for CAA SCO. “These actions not only endanger the lives of the drivers themselves but also put all road users at risk. We must prioritize road safety by promoting responsible driving habits."
Of those surveyed, the top five dangerous driving behaviours that motorists engaged in are,
1. Speeding (41 per cent)
2. Distracted driving (20 per cent)
3. Unsafe lane changes (9 per cent)
4. Aggressive driving (8 per cent)
5. Running red lights (7 per cent)
In contrast, those surveyed say they frequently witnessed others driving dangerously far more often.
1. Speeding (84 per cent)
2. Unsafe lane changes (76 per cent)
3. Aggressive driving (76 per cent)
4. Distracted driving (73 per cent)
5. Running red lights (56 per cent)
“The data tells us that it is far more prevalent for people to see others driving dangerously rather than admitting that they themselves are carrying out the same behaviour,” adds Stewart.
The survey found that speeding continues to be the leading concern for Ontario motorists, especially on roads with higher speed limits.
According to the study, 86 per cent of motorists feel safe on residential streets, compared to only 68 per cent on posted 110-kilometre-per-hour highways.
“Ontarians frequently witness dangerous driving behaviours, especially on highways,” says Stewart, “the important thing to remember is that the risk of collision can increase when travelling at higher speeds.”
Four out of 10 Ontario drivers will actively avoid roads with ASE Ontario drivers favour stricter fines and penalties to combat the increasing amount of dangerous driving across the province. This year alone, 35 per cent of Ontarians indicated that penalties and fines for speeding and stunt driving have influenced their driving behaviour – up seven per cent from last year.
The study also found that more than three-quarters of Ontario drivers (78 per cent) believe that automated speed enforcement (ASE) can help deter drivers from speeding, as 70 per cent of Ontario drivers admit that they will slow down in the presence of an ASE camera.
“It is no surprise that Ontario motorists are in favour of stricter penalties as speeding and dangerous driving continue to be an issue,” says Stewart, “what is surprising, however, is that despite the support for ASE, four out of 10 Ontario drivers will actively avoid roads where an ASE is present, an increase from last year.”
According to the survey, Ontarians support the presence of ASE on all types of streets, especially near schools (84 per cent) and community centres (81 per cent). A total of 17 per cent of Ontario drivers, equivalent to more than 1.5 million individuals, have received a ticket from an ASE camera in the past.
“CAA SCO continues to advocate for road safety for all road users,” says Stewart. “Our hope is that through education and awareness of the repercussions, we can begin to see a steady decrease in dangerous driving across all roads.”
For more information, please visit www.caasco.com/speeding
The online survey was conducted by DIG Insights from April 1 to April 16, 2024, with 1,509 Ontario drivers aged 18 and older. Based on the sample size of n=1,509 and with a confidence level of 95 per cent, the margin of error for this research is +/- 2%.)
