School Zone Signs

Common school zone signs in Ontario

You need to recognize and understand school zone signs to drive safely in school zones. Here are the most common road signs in school zones.

A school zone sign is a five-sided fluorescent yellow sign with pedestrians crossing. This means you are coming to a school zone and should slow down, be cautious and watch for children.
The flashing school zone sign also has flashing lights with the speed limit in effect during school hours.
Reduced speed limit ahead. These will often be yellow and sometimes have flashing lights.
Indicates an area where the community has identified there to be a high risk for pedestrians. Traffic related offences in this zone is subject to increased fines.
Drivers must stop for a school bus when signals are flashing.
You’ll see this sign on multi-lane highways with no centre median. If you see a school bus with flashing lights, all directions must stop.
A zone where school buses load or unload passengers without using the alternating lights and stop arm.

School zone safety statistics

Are you curious about how safe or unsafe school zones can be? Here are some statistics from CAA.

• The top three unsafe motorist behaviours witnessed in school zones are speeding, illegal parking, and distracted driving, which can lead to increased Ontario car insurance.
• A quarter of drivers reported witnessing a near miss or collision in a school zone, and more than half involved a child.
• Almost half of Canadians have witnessed speeding in school zones.
• 6 in 10 Canadians say there are more unsafe school zone practices today than in the past.

School zone driving safety tips

Every school day in Ontario, close to 824,000 students travel in 16,000 vehicles. Ensure the safety of those around you with these school zone driving safety tips.

• Obey school crossing guards: Crossing guards are legally permitted to stop traffic and assist children crossing the street. Pay attention to the road and be mindful of areas where children are crossing.
• Slow down and obey the speed limit: School zone limits range between 30-40km/h. Slow down and be extra cautious when driving. You never know when and where a child could pop out from.
• Understand the school parking lot: Travel in the proper direction and designated lanes in a school parking lot—only park in spots that avoid unnecessary risk and give cars and pedestrians room to cross.
• Know your community school zones: Some crossings do not have school zone signage, but you are still required to follow all school zone driving rules. Any pedestrian crossing where a crossing guard is present and displays a school crossing sign is a school zone.
• Drive as though your kids are present: Stay alert and treat all school zones as if your children were present. Take the same precautions for other kids as you would your own.
• Minimize distractions: Avoid distractions like using your mobile phone or adjusting music when driving through school zones.
• Be patient: Following parking regulations in school zones to maintain traffic flow and visibility is important. Exercise patience and avoid aggressive driving behaviours in school zones, especially during busy drop-off and pick-up times.
• Yield to pedestrians: Always giving the right of way to pedestrians, especially those in crosswalks or school crossings, is important.

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Choose to safe driving in school zones

When driving through school zones in Ontario, it is important to be aware of the laws, fines, and safety tips in place to protect vulnerable road users. By following these guidelines, drivers can help create safer environments for children and pedestrians. Remember that safety should always be the top priority when driving through school zones.