TORONTO

City launches ‘slow down Toronto’ campaign to improve safety at school zones

Joshua Freeman CTV News Toronto
Published Monday, March 19, 2018 10:57AM EDT Last Updated Monday, March 19, 2018 7:02PM EDT

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As many kids head back to school following March break, police and city officials are launching a campaign to try and keep kids safer when heading to and from school.

The “Slow Down Toronto” campaign runs from today through April 1 and will target offences that tend to lead to road incidents that result in deaths or serious injury, such as speeding, distracted driving, and aggressive driving. The campaign will especially focus on school zones and areas where there have been a high number of collisions.

“Change to driver behavior will be the single biggest contributor to improved safety in school zones,” Mayor John Tory said at the campaign launch at Cornell Junior Public School in Scarborough Monday. “I don’t know what it’s going to take for people to get the fact that it is their behavior behind the wheel of the car that is going to have more to do with improving the safety situation than will signs and zebra stripes and technology – all of which we’re going to employ.”

He added that people need to become sensitive to the fact that “there are children and people who are not protected by two tons of steel who are trying to get around the city.”

The two-week campaign announced today comes a few weeks after 11-year-old Duncan Xu was struck and killed by a vehicle near his school in Scarborough. His death prompted calls for tougher implementation of road safety measures around schools.

“The safety of all pedestrians, but particularly children, must be a priority in this city,” Tory said in a statement. “One pedestrian death is one too many. “We are working to prevent these deaths and protect our residents across the city. We all have a responsibility to share our streets in a courteous and safe way. I am committed to making sure all those who use our roads – pedestrians, cyclists and drivers – can get where they need to go as safely and efficiently as possible.”

The latest campaign is part of the city’s “Vision Zero” plan to reduce pedestrian injuries and fatalities.

“These tragedies are unacceptable,” Deputy Chief Peter Yuen said in a statement. “Toronto Police Service is committed to doing everything we can to make our roads safer. Over the next two weeks, officers will be paying special attention to drivers, pedestrians and cyclists who commit traffic violations that may jeopardize pedestrian safety in school zones.”

In addition to the two-week “Slow Down Toronto” campaign, the city said it is taking other measures to try and make roads safer around schools.

They include a one-year pilot project to provide new flexible in-road traffic calming signs in 12 school zones across the city, and retrofitting 60 more schools than planned this year with the latest school zone safety features.