Road safety around our schools: a wakeup call!

Thousands of school bells have been ringing across the province over the last few days.  They mark the official beginning of the school year but also remind us to drive carefully, especially in school zones. 

On Thursday, the CAA-Québec Foundation held a school road safety check near 10 primary schools in 7 of Quebec’s administrative regions. In the space of an hour, observers noted no fewer than 624 incidents of dangerous behaviour or traffic violations.

The findings of our experts at the CAA-Quebec Foundation are unequivocal: there is too much dangerous driving around our schools, putting schoolchildren at serious risk. It is crucial to drive safely in school zones. The statistics speak for themselves!

Parents were responsible for 60% of the dangerous driving incidents observed.

One hour of observation revealed that the main types of dangerous driving behaviour are committed by parents and/or people accompanying children. Out of 624 incidents of dangerous behaviour, they were responsible for 372.  Out of this number, a whopping 119 incidents of very distressing behaviour were observed during the time drivers spent in the parking lot or drop-off zone[1].

Summary of dangerous driving behaviour observed:

• 31% (192 incidents) involved speeding while approaching or in a school zone.
• 19% (119 incidents) occurred as vehicles entered the drop-off zone, as children got out of the cars and walked in the vicinity of traffic, and as cars left the zone.
• 7% (45 incidents) represented generally unsafe behaviour (e.g., a truck backing up when children are around the vehicle).
• 6% (36 incidents) concerned children under 12 sitting in the front seat of the vehicle,  whereas they should be sitting in the back.

In addition to the above observations, it was very troubling to see that:

• Many children sitting in vehicles already had their schoolbags on their backs; although this is not illegal, it is an unsafe behaviour that should be avoided because it is very dangerous in the event of an impact.
• Many drivers and passengers were not wearing their seatbelts.
• Many drivers failed to use their turn signals.

CAA-Québec school safety patrols: a tried and proven solution!

The CAA-Québec Foundation school safety patrol program has been in operation for over 90 years. Each year, thousands of 4th, 5th, and 6th graders in over 400 schools learn, observe, and teach safety rules to their peers. They are stationed on street corners, in hallways and schoolyards, and on school buses to help keep their fellow students safe.

Magalie, Félix, Olivier, Amy, and Sarah-Ève from La Chanterelle School in Quebec City, are very proud to participate in the school safety patrol program. Why? Because it gives them the chance to learn about road safety, feel useful, have responsibility, and best of all help their teachers enforce the rules with the other students.

“We often see unsafe behaviour. Young people think it’s cool to break the rules and make their friends laugh,” says Magalie, age 11.

In addition to being a positive influence on their peers, their participation in the CAA-Quebec school safety patrol program is often their first experience with road safety. It’s a good way to teach young people road safety rules, regardless of the type of road user they are or will be.

Visit the webpage of this turnkey program to learn more about CAA-Québec school safety patrols.

A few tips to follow at all times

• Be careful about possible distractions (cell phones, dashboard, music, passengers, etc.).
• Make eye contact with children nearby before starting a manoeuvre.
• Slow down and respect the speed limit.
• Accompany and teach responsible behaviour to your children Walk to school with them to teach them safe behaviour.
• The last few minutes before the bell are the most chaotic. Why not give yourself a little more time and reduce the stress?

To learn more about good practices in school zones, check out our tips and tricks on: School zones: traffic rules and precautions.

Get the full report on our observations by contacting our spokespeople.

About CAA-Quebec Foundation

The mission of the CAA-Quebec Foundation, created in 2008, is to help advance knowledge in the area of traffic safety. To that end, it conducts research and acts as a resource complementing other Quebec-based specialists and organizations active in the field. CAA-Quebec is a not-for-profit organization that assists each of its members by providing mobility, travel, insurance, and residential benefits, products, and services.

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^{[1]From the time they entered the area until they left, including while children were getting out of and walking near cars.}