School Zone & Playground Zone Safety

Every day, millions of Canadian families make a journey to and from school. CAA’s Supporting our Kids on the Journey to School Travel Study, the first-of-its-kind in Canada, lays out best practices in school zone travel policies with the aim of keeping kids safer on their journey to school. Evidence suggests school zones remain unsafe for many - with nearly 30% of drivers reporting they have witnessed a near miss or collision in a school zone. Findings for Saskatchewan can be found on page 20 of the publication. The safety of our children and all road users is a priority for CAA Saskatchewan.

CAA has helpful safety information for students, parents, and motorists to ensure everyone’s safety in school zones.

Safety Advice

Students & Pedestrians

  • Stop, look both ways, listen and think before safely crossing streets and busy intersections.
  • Obey traffic  signs and signals. Only cross at designated locations or crosswalks. Do not jaywalk.
  • Never run out in traffic or between parked cars, buses, or buildings.
  • Keep your head up  and be aware of your surroundings. Make eye contact with the drivers before proceeding into the intersection.
  • Refrain from visiting with friends when you are at an intersection and ready  to cross.
  • Eliminate distractions such as using your mobile phones, gaming devices, and wearing headphones.
  • Watch for CAA School Safety Patrollers on duty and follow their instructions.
  • Download the CAA Safety Colouring Booklet  (for School Zones & Playground Zones) and the CAA Family Safety Booklet  for fun activities and information, including the CAA School Safety Patrol® Program. Complimentary copies of the booklet are available at all CAA Stores.

Parents & Guardians

  • Teach children about the rules of the road – always stop, look both ways, listen and think before safely crossing the street.
  • Plan your child’s walking route to and from school and walk with them to better familiarize themselves with the school and surrounding area. Parents and caregivers be sure to point out crosswalks, stop signs, landmarks, and family or friends’ homes.
  • Always have an older student or adult walk with younger children.
  • Good walking gear is important including comfortable shoes with traction.
  • Obey the “no stopping” zones in front of schools.
  • Know your route and talk with the school administrator in advance to determine drop off, pick-up, no stopping, and parking zones. Use the designated drop off and pickup areas only.
  • Park a couple of blocks away to avoid traffic congestion and safely walk the rest of the way with your children. Don’t park illegally.

Motorists

  • Observe and obey the posted speed limits and hours that the speed limits are enforced.
  • Slow down in school zones; remain alert when driving near playgrounds and parks.
  • Avoid distracted driving and focus on the road. Drivers who text are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash or near collision than non-distracted drivers.
  • Be aware of the CAA School Safety Patrollers on duty during school days and follow their instructions.
  • Watch for school buses. Always stop for the buses’ flashing lights and wait for children to get safely on or off.
  • Stay alert and watch for children or parents crossing the road when the bus moves on.
  • Watch for excited children, as they may not be thinking about road safety.

CAA School Zone Safety Assessment

The CAA School Zone Safety Assessment program is owned and managed by CAA Saskatchewan. This assessment tool allows school staff and community stakeholders to track  the identified risk behaviours of motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians in their school zone or community. By tracking these at-risk behaviours staff and stakeholders  can identify key safety problems in school zones or community areas such as parks, playgrounds, and recreation centres. The tabulated results can help implement change and improvement.

The top risky pedestrian behaviours in school zones continues to be jaywalking and failing to look both ways when crossing the street. The top risky behaviours by motorists in school zones are completing U-turns, illegally parking, or parking in a no-stopping area. We all must take responsibility to help keep our children safe in school zones and near community playgrounds and parks.

See the full results of the CAA School Zone Safety Assessments:

To learn more about the CAA School Zone Safety Assessment, contact schoolzonesafety@caask.ca. To request a CAA School Zone Safety Assessment in your community, please complete the form at the bottom of the page.

CAA School Safety Patrol

Through CAA’s School Safety Patrol® program student patrollers have been helping their classmates safely cross streets and learning more about pedestrian safety in Saskatchewan since 1951.

Request an Assessment  

Complete the form below to inquire about conducting a CAA School Zone Safety Assessment in your school community. We will contact you with further details and information.

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