CAA-Quebec says 7 road violations occur every minute in Quebec school zones

CAA-Quebec says it found a concerning number of “risky behaviours or breaches” from drivers while in school zones.

On Thursday, officials toured nine Quebec school districts and noted 425 Highway Safety Code breaches — speeding, crosswalk violations, and traffic sign violations — in the hour before school started.

CAA-Quebec says that means in the morning rush, there was an average of seven misconducts every minute.

“These findings prove that raising awareness of the importance of road safety is a message that bears repeating over and over again. CAA-Quebec and its Foundation reiterate the importance of sharing the road, and even more so when vulnerable road users are involved,” said CAA-Quebec in a statement.

“A situation can quickly escalate into chaos in school zones, and as such, parents, children, motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, etc. all need to work together and abide by the rules.”

The findings found that 50 per cent of all the incidents involved speeding drivers. All the offences occurred on approach to and within school zones where there was clear signage present. CAA-Quebec noted buses were also to blame.

Many drivers also failed to obey road signs, adult crossing guards’ instructions, non-compliance with right-of-way rules, non-use of turn signals, use of mobile phones while driving, non-use of seat belts, and unsafe or unauthorized dropping off of children.

Of all the offences committed, 352 or 83 per cent, were committed by motorists. 48 offences (just over 10 per cent) were committed by pedestrians, cyclists, or scooter users.

Additionally, 25 offences (nearly six per cent) were committed by parents. The remaining 23 offences (five per cent) were committed by school bus drivers.

CAA-Quebec said all the observations were conducted in the following regions: Mauricie, Centre-du-Québec and Chaudière-Appalaches.