Whitby, August 21, 2024 – As kids head back to school, here are five important school zone safety reminders from Whitby Fire and Emergency Services and the Town’s crossing guards for drivers and pedestrians to pay attention to:
According to Transport Canada, one person is injured every 30-minutes in Canada from a distracted driving-related accident. In fact, checking a text for 5 seconds at 40km/hr means you have travelled the equivalent of half a football field, blindfolded. The easiest way to avoid distracted driving fines is never to use a handheld device while you’re behind the wheel.
Legal street parking in school zones is designed to maintain sightlines so pedestrians and motorists can see one another. Illegal stopping or parking by schools can significantly reduce the Crossing Guard’s line of sight putting the Guard and students in danger when crossing the street. It also makes it difficult for emergency services vehicles like fire trucks to respond to emergencies. Bottom line, if you see a No Stopping or No Parking sign, please follow it and find somewhere else to park.
Did you know the Town has 75 neighbourhood crossing guards? Crossing guards work to keep our community and school zones safe for everyone. Help support them by remaining fully stopped until all pedestrians and the guard have cleared the crossing and are safely on the sidewalk. It’s also important to follow the guard’s three whistles to know when it’s safe to drive again. Learn more.
Interested in becoming a Whitby School Crossing Guard? Visit whitby.ca/Jobs.
Did you know you can confidentially report incidents of unsafe or aggressive driving through Road Watch? The program is a partnership between residents, the Town, and Durham Regional Police Service, who work together to help keep our streets safe. Learn more about Road Watch.
When driving through school zones, keep everyone safe by obeying the posted speed limits and only turning when allowed. Speeding and illegal U-turns put everyone at risk.
Thank you for helping to create a safer community!
Contact Us