Back-to-School Traffic Safety from the Calgary Police Service

Written by Chief Constable of the Calgary Police Service Mark Neufeld; Photo: Fotolia.com

Being a parent of four children, I can certainly identify with the stresses that come with the start of a new school year. One of those stresses is making sure everyone gets out the door on time in the morning and arrives safely at school. The Calgary Police Service would like to take this opportunity to remind students and parents about the importance of traffic safety.

In September of 2018, CPS officers issued more than $100,000 worth of traffic fines for these common traffic violations across the city, including near schools:



This is a good time of year to remind and teach children some basic traffic safety awareness, so they are confident and prepared once they are old enough to make the journey to school on their own.

Whether your kids take the bus to school, walk or bike to school, or are dropped off by you or a guardian, it’s important to teach your kids to:

• Always walk on sidewalks and only cross the street at marked crosswalks.
  
  
• If a crossing has traffic control lights, make sure your kids understand how to use them and why it’s important to do so.
  
  
• Get off and walk their bike across the road.
  
  
• Stop, look, and listen before entering the roadway.
  
  
• Increase their visibility to motorists and make eye contact with drivers.
  
  
• When traffic has stopped and it’s safe to cross, kids should walk, not run, across the road.

It’s also a good idea to establish a regular route to and from school and to have your children tell you in advance if they plan to take a different way. If possible, have them travel with a friend and let you know when they’ve arrived safely at school.

Together, we can help create a safe environment for everyone by each doing our part to learn and follow the rules of the road.

In addition to road and traffic safety, it’s also important for parents to know there are CPS School Resource Officers assigned to most elementary, junior high, and high schools in Calgary. These officers are there to work together with staff and students and are trained to help parents and kids deal with a variety of issues, if need be. School Resource Officers can be accessed through your child’s school.

Here’s to a safe and stress-free back-to-school season!

Mark Neufeld is the Chief Constable of the Calgary Police Service.