Back to school safety tips for drivers and students
Essex County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is reminding drivers students across Essex County are heading back to school next week.
For drivers, that means maintaining a heightened level of awareness for students getting on or getting off a school bus or when travelling near or through a school zone.
A distraction of a split-second can be enough to cause a devastating collision.
Drivers may encounter school buses and increased traffic on their morning or afternoon commutes so they should take that into consideration where timing what time to leave the house.
Drivers are also reminded to slow down when you see a school bus and give it plenty of space, as it could come to a stop at any time.
Remember, failing to stop for a stopped school bus that has its flashing red lights engaged is a serious offence. For a first-time offence, you can be fined from $400 to $2,000 and have six demerit points added to your license.
Ontario, school bus drivers and other witnesses can report vehicles that have illegally passed a school bus. If you are the vehicle's registered owner, these same fines may be applied to you.
Parents are also encouraged to talk with your children about being safe when going and coming from school. Here are a few reminders for students:
Cyclists under the age of 18 are required to wear a helmet by provincial law. Cyclists should also wear bright, reflective clothing to enhance their safety. Cyclists must obey the same rules of the road as all other vehicles.
Pedestrians and those on scooters should stay on sidewalks and where there are none, they should be walking on the left side of the road facing traffic as far off onto the shoulder as possible. Both pedestrians and cyclists should make use of the crossing guards who will be returning to their posts to help our children get safely across the road.
Essex County OPP will have enhanced high visibility patrols around school zones throughout the coming weeks to ensure drivers and students are following the rules of the road and exercising the appropriate level of caution and care.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.