School Zone Safety

Drivers, do you know the rules of the road?

We all play an important role in keeping our community safe and this includes safety around school crosswalks and school buses.

School crossing guard safety

When there is a school crossing guard in the crosswalk with their stop sign, drivers must stop before reaching the crosswalk and remain stopped until all pedestrians, including the crossing guard, have cleared the roadway. The fine for failing to stop for a crossing guard is $150 to $500 and three demerit points.

Pedestrians play an important part in keeping our communities safe as well. Pedestrians should follow these tips when crossing roads:

Please obey crossing guards when present
Make eye contact with drivers before crossing
Get off of bikes, skateboards and scooters before crossing
Never stop in the middle of an intersection; stopping may confuse waiting drivers
Always yield to emergency vehicles; if you’ve already started crossing, clear the road quickly and safely
At crossings with signals, only cross when the pedestrian walk signal is displayed. Never start crossing when the ‘don’t walk’ signal is flashing; this signal means you don’t have enough time to cross safely

School bus safety

Motorists have a responsibility to ensure children on school buses travel to and from school safely, by driving with care, abiding by the rules and reporting unsafe drivers.

Drivers should always do the following:

Drive according to the posted speed limit within school zones
When driving on a road without a median, drivers traveling in both directions must stop for a school bus with its lights flashing
When approaching a stopped school bus from the front, stop at a safe distance to allow children to get on or off the bus and cross the road
Do not move forward until the red lights have stopped flashing or the bus begins to move
When driving on a road with a median, traffic coming from the opposite direction is not required to stop
Drives must stop at least 20 meters behind the bus

Not stopping for a school bus could result in a fine of up to $2,000 and 6 demerit points.

Report unsafe drivers

You can play an important part in keeping our school communities safe by reporting unsafe drivers to local authorities. If you see a driver that doesn’t stop for a school bus with its lights flashing, please pull over safely and record the following:

Location of the incident, date and time
Description of the vehicle (make, model, colour and licence plate number if possible)
Status of the bus (was it moving or stopped? Were it’s flashing lights on or off?)
If children were boarding or exiting the bus
If the driver passed from the front or behind the bus
Record or photograph the scene
Contact local police with as much information as you can