CAA South Central Ontario urging extra school zone caution during end-of-summer transition

We're about to enter that period where the relaxed vibes of summer are replaced by the frantic back-to-school buzz of September. While picking things up a notch can be healthy for everyone at times, the Canadian Auto Association's South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) branch is here to remind us all that that franticness shouldn't extend to our driving habits in school zones.

After schools have been closed for two months, some drivers may revert back to bad habits in areas where kids are frequently mulling about during the academic year. Now that classes are once again set to be in session, it's important for drivers that will be passing through school zones to be extra attentive to their actions on the roads.

"We can often make a daily routine like dropping off and picking up kids at school more stressful than it needs to be," said Elliott Silverstein, manager of government relations at CAA SCO. "We all have a role to play to keep our school zones safe and that starts with having patience, being attentive, and taking the time needed to interact safely in school zones."

According to CAA SCO data compiled in recent Ipsos survey of 1,000 Ontario parents of school-aged kids, approximately one-third of them consider school zones to be unsafe. Two in five of them have actually witnessed or experienced a dangerous incident in a school zone.

CAA SCO provides a number of actionable tips for raising the safety levels of school zones. It urges drivers to not engage in distracted driving behaviour, avoid double parking and stopping in undesignated areas, check frequently for oncoming children, be ready to stop at all times, and come to a complete stop when buses' red lights are flashing.