According to the BCAA Drivers Need To Improve Their School Zone Driving

School is back in full swing across the country and a new survey by The British Columbia Automobile Association suggests that drivers continue to speed, exhibit hostility and ignore road signs in school zones. The survey indicates that the forty-eight percent of the respondents to the survey, parents and guardians of school-aged children think that school zones are getting worse when it comes to the safety of their children. Sixty-eight percent have expressed concern when it comes to the safety of their children in school zones.

Most parents can agree that school zones can be hectic. Children are being dropped off quickly while parents rush off to meet the deadlines of their schedules. This chaotic environment may not bring out the best in parent drivers, and the BCAA was asked to determine the actual extent of the problem.

BCAA Survey Results Are Alarming

The following results were obtained from the BCAA survey of parents, guardians and principals of schools.  The results show:

– 83% witness parents/guardians speeding in school zones.
– 51% see hostile behaviour from parents and guardians such as honking and using   profanities.
– 75% say they’ve seen ‘near misses’ when a child is almost struck by a car.
– 82% witness distracted driving by parents and guardians.

Many parents do not take the necessary precautions to ensure their children are safe while dropping them off and picking them up in school zones. Many parents allow their children to be picked up and dropped off in non-designated areas. This creates a risk for students who may have to dodge traffic and drivers who may not be prepared for the sudden movement of pedestrians.

The survey further revealed that parents experienced children running into traffic and running in between school buses and vehicles. The study also highlighted that many of the motorists who dropped off their children at school did so while talking on their cellphone.

In addition to those motorists who were designated as non-parent drivers also navigate through school zones unsafely. The survey revealed the following disturbing behaviours:

– 94% of regular drivers sped through school zones
– 90% of drivers engaged in distracted driving behaviours when driving through a school zone
– 90% of drivers disregarded road rules and traffic signs

The findings of this BCAA survey are disturbing, particularly when it comes to speed and distracted driving behaviours. Despite continued awareness campaigns, drivers continue to engage in reckless actions, even when the safety of their children is at issue. Young Drivers of Canada would like to remind parents to slow down, used dedicated drop-off and pick-up areas and focus on the road when navigating through school zones.

The BCAA survey was conducted between August 29 – September 1, 2016, with a random sample of 712 adult drivers in British Columbia. The drivers included school staff, principals and teachers and over 400 parent/guardian drivers who pick up and drop off children in a school zone. To read the complete findings, visit, https://www.bcaa.com/learning-centre/bcaa-newsroom/news-releases/08-27-2013-school-zone-safety-concerns .