You must drive slowly and be prepared to stop suddenly when a child is on or near a road, or close to a school or playground. It’s illegal to pass another moving vehicle in a school area, within 15 minutes of either the opening or closing of classes or at any time when children are on the school grounds or near the road.

Watch for reduced-speed school zones, where lower speed limits may be in effect during school hours, or at all times, according to the posted signs. The maximum speed may be as low as 30 km/hwhere the regularly-posted speed is less than 80km/h, and as low as 50 km/h where the regularly-posted speed is 80 km/h or above. If you are caught going faster than the posted speed limit you could face a significant fine and move down the Driver Safety Rating scale.

Watch for school safety patrols because they indicate that children are nearby. The patrols are easily recognized by their high visibility vests and flags. They play an extremely important role in directing children across streets.

Watch for members of the school safety patrol. Children are near the roadway