Congestion in School Zones Sparks Safety Concerns Among Parents: CAA Survey
Thornhill, ON (Sept. 1, 2025) – New findings from CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) show that parents believe that school zone congestion is increasing. Eight in 10 Ontario parents report traffic buildup during both drop-off (81 per cent) and pick-up (84 per cent) times. These numbers are up from 77 per cent and 79 per cent in 2024, respectively.
“Every parent wants to see their child get to school safely, and an increase in vehicle traffic in these areas can pose a serious safety risk to young road users,” says Lauren Fisher, manager, government relations for CAA SCO. “Our survey reveals that parents are choosing to drive their kids to school because of the distance between home and school, convenience and traffic safety concerns.”
Parents Support Stricter School Zone Safety Measures
A majority of parents (83 per cent) have reported seeing unsafe driving behaviours in their child’s school zone – up three per cent from 2024. As a result, most parents (63 per cent) consider their child’s school zone very unsafe, a number that has climbed since 2023 (55 per cent).
“Speeding, stopping in undesignated areas and double parking are all commonly reported unsafe driving behaviours parents see in their child’s school zones,” says Fisher. “To help deal with that, most parents are in favour of increasing safety precautions in school zones, including improved enforcement and penalties.”
Most parents are in favour of reducing the speed limit in school zones, with nearly half considering 30km/h as the most appropriate speed in these areas. Many parents also believe that automated speed enforcement (ASE) effectively deters speeding in school zones.
With the new school year just days away, CAA SCO encourages motorists to make responsible driving choices to protect children as they travel to, from and around school.
CAA SCO has the following tips when travelling in school zones:
- Help reduce traffic with active school travel: Encourage your kids to walk or wheel to school to ease traffic congestion. If your school is a further distance, CAA SCO encourages parents and guardians to park a block away and walk to school to reduce the volume of vehicles and improve sightlines.
- Put away distractions: It’s essential to put away distractions such as phones and be extra attentive in school zones, for both motorists and pedestrians.
- Slow down: Know and respect the speed limit in your neighbourhood’s school zones. Give yourself plenty of time to drop off your kids at school to avoid rushing.
- Choose a safe spot to drop off and pick up your children from school: Follow your school’s rules and avoid double parking or stopping on crosswalks, dropping off or picking up your kids on the opposite side of the street, and stopping in moving traffic as kids rush out. Instead, use the designated drop-off areas or consider a spot a bit farther away from school that is easily accessible and safe.
- Make eye contact with pedestrians: With the excitement of going back to school, anticipate that children may not easily see or hear your moving vehicle, so ensure to make eye contact with pedestrians crossing the road.
- Stop for school buses: Never pass a stopped school bus with an activated stop arm and flashing red lights as children get on and off the bus. Passing a school bus as it loads and unloads children – not only is this dangerous, but it’s also illegal.
- Watch for CAA School Safety Patrollers: When travelling through school zones, watch for CAA School Safety Patrollers in their lime green safety vests, as they play an important role in ensuring the roadway is safe before kids cross on their own. Visit caaschoolsafetypatrol.com for more information.
CAA supports safety in school zones through the CAA School Safety Patrol® program, developed to protect and educate elementary school children on safe road-crossing practices. CAA’s Ontario Road Safety Resource is a toolkit with valuable lesson plans for teachers to help educate students about road safety. To learn more, or for more school zone safety tips, please visit www.caasco.com/schoolzone.
About the Study
The online survey was conducted by DIG Insights in May 2025, with 1,511 Ontario parents/guardians with children attending school from kindergarten to grade 8. Based on the sample size of n=1,511 and with a confidence level of 95 per cent, the margin of error for this research is +/- 2%.)
About CAA South Central Ontario
As a leader and advocate for road safety and mobility, CAA South Central Ontario is a not-for-profit auto club which represents the interests of over 2.6 million Members. For over a century, CAA has collaborated with communities, police services and governments to help keep drivers and their families safe while travelling on our roads. For more information, visit www.caasco.com.
SOURCE: CAA South Central Ontario