Toronto police, in conjunction with the Toronto District School Board, are launching a back-to-school campaign to remind people of road safety rules.
The "Back to School - Back to Basics, Remember Road Safety" initiative will last for two weeks from Tuesday, Sept. 2 until Friday, Sept. 12.
The campaign will focus on road safety in the vicinity of school zones especially at crosswalks, intersections and “no stopping” and “no parking” restriction areas.
Police officers and parking enforcement officers will be targeting driving offences such as speeding, prohibited turns and distracted driving behaviours.
Standing outside Wilkinson Junior Public School near Danforth and Donlands avenues, Const. Hugh Smith told CP24 that the campaign is about getting kids to school safely and easing up traffic congestion.
“The focus is putting some priority on these school zones,” Smith said. “People might think something as simple as dropping their child off and watching them walk to school, but if they’re in a no-stopping or no-parking zone, it trickles all the way down to these intersections and causes a lot of congestion.
The Ontario Provincial Police is also reminding drivers not to pass school buses when the buses are stopped with flashing signal lights. Motorists convicted of doing so could face fines of up to $4,000 or imprisonment and six demerit points on their drivers’ license.
