Students are Heading Back to School: Stay Alert, Be Cautious and Be Aware While Using Roads

Students, ranging from pre-school to post-secondary, are returning to school the week of September 6. Mississauga roads will be busy with thousands of students walking, riding their bikes, taking a bus or being driven to school. All road users are reminded to stay alert and remain cautious to prevent collisions.

“This time of year, it’s especially important to keep road safety top of mind to prevent collisions with so many students out on the road. If you’re driving, I urge you to slow down, watch for students and to stop for school buses. Those walking or cycling are encouraged to follow the rules of the road and stay alert,” said Geoff Wright, Commissioner, Transportation and Works. “Consider walking or riding your bike to school to help reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. It’s also great exercise and will help you start your day in a healthy and energizing way. Stay safe and have a great first day back!”

The City has more than 200 school crossing guards who will be ready on the first day of school to help students from kindergarten to fifth grade cross the road safely. The City’s School Walking Routes program also encourages students to use active transportation while alerting drivers to watch for children.

The City continues to work towards its commitment of achieving Vision Zero in Mississauga and keeping students safe while using the roads. This past spring, the City completed the School Streets Pilot Project at three schools to provide students a temporary, car-free environment in front of a school during morning drop-off and/or afternoon pick-up time. The City also continues to lower speeds in all neighbourhoods and school zones across Mississauga through the Neighbourhood Area Speed Limit Project. In addition, since the start of the Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) program, cameras have been placed in 50 school zones to help combat speeding on Mississauga roadways.

Safety tips for families who walk, cycle or take a bus to school:

• Plan and practise your school route as a household ahead of time, including safe places to cross the street.
• If your route to school is near a railway crossing, make sure to follow all railway-crossing safety rules.
• When waiting for a school bus or public transit, stand back from the curb and don’t approach the bus until it comes to a full stop.
• Make sure to look both ways before you cross the road at an intersection, crosswalk or with a crossing guard.
• Wear a helmet when biking, skateboarding or scootering to school and obey all signs, laws and signals.

Safety tips for drivers:

• Be alert, obey the posted speed limits, and follow the rules at drop-off and pick-up locations to help keep everybody safe.
• Look out for students, especially when turning and in areas with many stopped cars.
• At stop signs, drivers are required to come to a complete stop and yield the appropriate right-of-way before proceeding through the intersection.
• At crossings, check the entire crosswalk for pedestrians and cyclists, and do not proceed until they have completed the crossing.
• Stop if a school bus has flashing red lights and an extended stop arm to allow students to get on or off the bus and cross the road. Do not move until the bus moves, the lights have stopped flashing and the stop arm is no longer activated.
• Avoid distractions when driving including looking at your phone or drinking coffee.
• Consider leaving the car at home. If you normally drive to the bus stop, consider walking instead. If you must drive, consider driving partway and walking the rest of the way to reduce congestion and improve safety in front of the school.

For more road safety information and additional safety tips, please visit: mississauga.ca/roadsafety

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Tags

• Public Safety
• Roads and Traffic
• Students, Children & Youth