School Zone Safety - CAA National

Every child should have the right to a safe journey to and from school.

Improving safety for children on our roads has been a top priority for CAA for nearly a century. School zones have changed a lot in the last decade. Today, nearly three quarters of kids are driven to school. That has led to a significant increase in vehicle traffic in school zones – bringing with it more pollution and more unsafe driving. The safety of our children, and all road users, in school zones is a top priority for CAA.

Supporting our Kids on the Journey to School

The CAA School Travel Study finds that Canada could be doing more to support children on the school journey.

This first-of-its-kind study in Canada lays out best practices in school zone policies, design, and programs. CAA calls on those entrusted with our children’s safety – provinces, municipalities, school groups and others – to take this report’s findings on board to make sure the journey is as safe as possible.

Read the full report

Safety Patrol Program

The CAA School Safety Patrol® program is one of Canada’s largest youth volunteer programs. It helps protect kids in our school zones, while offering tens of thousands of patrollers across Canada an education in road safety and the chance to build valuable leadership skills.

Learn about Safety Patrol

School Zone Safety Assessment Tool

CAA also advocates, provincially and federally, for infrastructure and safety improvements to school zones. CAA’s School Zone Safety Assessment Tool allows volunteers to collect data on unsafe driving and pedestrian practices in school zones. By tracking unsafe behaviours as they occur, stakeholders are able to identify key problems in different schools and locations.

Email us to join

Parent Survey Results

In a survey of parents with young children at home, CAA asked, “what do Canadian school zones look like?” Canadians reported the following dangerous behaviours in school zones.

– Source: CAA polling, 2018

25%

Nearly a quarter of drivers report witnessing a near miss or collision in a school zone, more than half of which involved a child.

1/2

Nearly 1/2 of Canadians say they witnessed distracted driving in a school zone.

6 in 10

Nearly 6 in 10 Canadians say there are more unsafe driving practices in school zones today than in the past.

70%

70% of Canadians say they have witnessed speeding in school zones, an increase from 2016.

More statistics