Driving in school zones comes with increased rules and precautions. School zones tend to have much lower speed limits than regular roads, and for good reason. According to the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), approximately three quarters of children in Canada are driven to school, resulting in a significant increase in traffic around schools.

Even more important, there is a large population of youth, many of which are too young to realize the dangers of playing near the road. It is your responsibility as a driver to follow speed limits and keep aware of your surroundings when driving near schools. Many children enjoy playing games that may cause them to run onto the road, including ball games such as basketball or baseball, and activities such as tag and hide-and-seek where children are likely to be focusing more on having fun rather than staying safe.

In a 2018 poll from CAA, 70% of Canadians say they have witnessed speeding in school zones, and 25% of drivers report witnessing a near miss or collision in a school zone, more than half of which involved a child. It is extremely important to keep your eyes on the road and keep lookout for children when driving near schools. Even if you don’t hit a child while driving over the speed limit or driving while distracted, you will face increased fines and potential license suspension from police who patrol school zones, or if you are caught on a speeding camera often placed near school zones.