The CAA-Quebec school drop-off patrol: A simple way to start the school day safely!

Peace of mind for parents and a less stressful morning routine—this is what CAA-Quebec offers with its school drop-off patrol. The idea is quite simple! At drop-off time, parents can sit comfortably behind the wheel while student safety patrollers take care of helping their children out of the vehicle and guiding them into school.

The CAA-Quebec Foundation has implemented this pilot project to increase student safety in drop-off areas while making mornings a little less chaotic in school zones. Following a promising first experiment that began before the pandemic at Springdale Elementary in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, École Anne-Hébert in Quebec City is launching the second CAA-Quebec school drop-off patrol.

School drop-off patrol: Making it even safer to get the kids to school

With the help of an adult patroller, a group of student patrollers, and a few simple rules, this project promotes safe behaviour by road users, parents, and children. How does it work? First, an adult patroller admits a group of vehicles into the designated drop-off zone. This area is often on the school grounds or a nearby street, and marked off with signs, pylons, or other equipment. Once the vehicles are parked, the young CAA-Quebec patrollers spring into action, opening car doors and helping children out safely. Then the cars can get back on the road as the students are ushered either directly into school or the schoolyard, and the process is repeated until the bell rings.

“The school drop-off patrol is a promising solution for improving the safety of all users, particularly at École Anne-Hébert, which has been grappling with traffic issues for several years now. ”

- Marco Harrison – Director, CAA-Quebec Foundation

In conjunction with this pilot project, the Foundation plans to determine, through concrete observations, whether the school drop-off patrol has significantly improved safety and whether it is effective and safe for children. If so, the solution could eventually become part of the Foundation’s programs and be implemented throughout the province.

Traffic problems around École Anne-Hébert

The streets around École Anne-Hébert school have always been difficult to navigate. Avenue Brown and Rue Père-Marquette are very busy, both with cars and buses and with pedestrians and cyclists. Combine this with drivers double parking, a drop-off zone directly on Avenue Brown, and more buses than elsewhere because of paratransit, and the result is catastrophic.

When we approached École Anne-Hébert about a pilot version of the CAA-Quebec school drop-off patrol, the administration was very enthusiastic about the project. “We were immediately on board with the idea of a school drop-off patrol. It was such a relief to know that people were finally coming to help us improve the safety of our students,” said Josée Thiboutôt, vice principal at École Anne-Hébert.

Concrete improvements made by Quebec City

The school drop-off patrol pilot project at École Anne-Hébert was made possible thanks to the close cooperation of the city council. They took concrete steps that enabled us to work together toward our ultimate goal of making the school grounds and surrounding streets safer. As a result, Avenue Brown is now a one-way street and only short-term parking, up to 10 minutes, is permitted during school hours. Since these changes were implemented, we have seen a significant decrease in traffic, which means improved safety for students. Of course, what has been done won’t solve every problem, so we can certainly expect that with a school drop-off patrol, things will get even better in the coming months.

Success at Springdale Elementary

In September 2019, the CAA-Quebec Foundation launched its first school drop-off patrol as a pilot project. The program proved to be a great success at Springdale Elementary in Dollard-des-Ormeaux and the benefits were clear—the school has already noted a significant improvement in student safety in the drop-off zone. Although the pandemic and ensuing public health measures have put the patrol on hold for the last two years, the school is very enthusiastic about resuming the project in the very near future.

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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