Road Safety

Educating youth about road safety is important to help them develop the skills and knowledge to make safer choices.

This knowledge allows them to take actions to decrease the risk of injuries and death. The Injury Profile of Windsor and Essex County, 2016, reports a general decrease in the number of transport collisions in our community, however, there were higher prevalence rates among adolescents and young adults (15-24 years old), particularly among males. Of those injured as a result of a collision, 51% occupied a car and 22% occupied a bicycle (WECHU, 2016).

All drivers need to be responsible and understand that driving is a privilege. Supporting newer drivers/students to understand concerns related to risky driving behaviours such as distraction, drug/alcohol impairment, fatigue, speeding, and aggression is essential for well-being. The Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) studied distracted driving and found that in 2021 significantly more Canadians, (31.7%), reported often talking on their hands-free phones while driving. Data shows a significant increase in the percentage of respondents who reported they often texted on their phones from 2010 (4.8%) to 2021 (13.1%) which is a 173% increase (TIRF, 2022). TIRF’s, 2023 Canadian report related to cannabis and driving reports a concerning increase in drug-impaired driving fatalities and injuries in Canada in the past 5 years (TIRF, 2023).

Road safety responsibility also includes vehicle passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists. For example, before crossing the road, pedestrians need to make sure that drivers can see them and can stop before they enter the roadway. Drivers have a duty to drive safely and limit distractions while yielding to pedestrians. Pedestrians and cyclists should also limit their distractions. This includes not using a cell phone when crossing roads or wearing earbuds while cycling to decrease the risk of injury. Everyone has a part to play in keeping our roads safe by following all the laws that are in place.

Educators, parents, and caregivers can support road safety with their students and children to ensure that they develop confidence and stay safe on their routes. Schools are an important setting for this for students of all ages. Skills and habits that promote personal safety should be taught and strengthened in the school setting and at home. This will set students up for success and help to prevent or lessen the burden of injury.

Using the Ministry of Education’s Foundations for a Healthy School framework, schools, school boards, parents and community partners can work together to develop healthy school environments that promote and support student well-being.


Resources & Information for:

Resources

  • The Safety Village- Safety Education Classes: School programs offered on various topics to elementary students with grade-focused themes some on road safety rules, and bike safety. It’s a hands-on educational opportunity. There is a fee and busing cost related to this on-site activity. The village is supported by community safety partners.
  • Ottawa Safety Council- RoadSMARTS4Kids (RS4K) Library: Created in 2020 with the support of Transport Canada educational resources for use by municipalities, school boards, schools, teachers, and educators. RS4K makes learning key road safety concepts, skills, and awareness fun and engaging for elementary-age children while meeting curriculum requirements. Topics covered include cycling, walking, sharing our roads, booster seat safety, and preparing to walk places alone for the first time. Many of the resources are also available in French.
  • Parachute-Pedestrian Safety (French): Several supports to increase safety for walkers.
    • Cycling (French): Safety tips for drivers and cyclists, resources, and videos.
    • Road Safety (French): Support around winter driving and the risk behaviours in order to prevent motor vehicle collisions.
  • CK Public Health- Safe Cycling; Riding a Safe Bike: An educational video describing safety equipment needs for cycling.
  • Safe Cycling: Using a bike lane:  Main points about bike lanes.
  • Safe Cycling: 1m passing law & sharing the road: How motorist should approach a cyclist. Also discusses the importance of younger children learning to ride in a traffic-free setting.

Lessons and Activities

  • Ottawa Safety Council- RoadSMARTS E-cademy Free Virtual E-Learning Courses (French): Courses offered for students from JK to grade 6 that take between 20 to 40 minutes to complete. Personalized certificates can be downloaded after completion.
  • Ophea: Free online resources developed to support educators in implementing the Ontario Health and Physical Activity Curriculum (Grades 1-12), including lesson plans and resources regarding road safety and injury prevention. Must create an account to access resources.
    • Assessing Dangerous Situations: A lesson plan targeting grade 8’s to identify danger and what behaviours can help reduce this risk. Working in groups students review a scenario and discuss answers to set questions.
    • Crossing Streets Safely: After discussing traffic safety rules, early-year students can role-play crossing the street safely.
  • RCMP Centre for Youth Crime Prevention (French): Engaging materials support lesson plans for upper grades related to driving.
  • Ophea Healthy Schools Certification: Gives your school the tools to promote and enhance the health and well-being of students, school staff, and the broader school community. Contact your school nurse at 519-258-2146 x 1555 for more information on how they can support your school in achieving a Healthy Schools Certification.  
  • OSAID (Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving): A charity that empowers secondary youth to eliminate impaired driving. Volunteers become enriched with leadership skills and communication opportunities, to support their peers in making better choices. 
  • MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) Canada- SmartWheels: Mobile classroom interactive presentation for grades 7 & 8 students about the risks of experimenting with alcohol and drugs. It also includes information about how they can avoid becoming passengers in vehicles with impaired drivers. Teaching resources are available for download prior to the presentation for classroom use. Currently only available in English.
  • Final Play: School presentation that brings awareness to impaired driving (alcohol and drug) and risk reduction messaging for students in grades 7 through 12. Teaching resources are available for download prior to the presentation for classroom use. Available in French.

Student council or student wellness council to actively participate in identifying school needs and activities to address those needs.

School Campaigns and Social Media

  • WECHU- Active Safe Routes to School Toolkit (Available in French): This toolkit contains information on school travel planning, including:
    • Common barriers to school active travel and ways to address them.
    • A step-by-step process for school travel planning.
    • Key resources to use throughout the process.
  • Ontario Ministry of Transportation- Transportation safety (French): A collection of resources to support an understanding of driving and transportation safety laws and penalties for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is dangerous and illegal. Know what counts as impaired driving and the penalties you could face for it before you get behind the wheel.

Resources and Support in the Community

  • The Safety Village: Check for onsite events so that your child can safely explore the mini village, learning that can be put into practice in their neigbourhood.
  • BusKids.ca (French) also known as Windsor-Essex Student Transportation Services (WESTS): provides safety pointers, programs/training, and updates if buses are running or cancelled due to bad weather.
  • Windsor Police Service- Safety Patrol: Student volunteers wearing lime-green vests are trained as Foot and Bus Patrollers supporting the safety of their peers.

Additional Resources and Support

Resources and Support in the Community

  • The Safety Village: Check for onsite events so that your child can safely explore the mini village, learning that can be put into practice in their neigbourhood.
  • BusKids.ca (French) also known as Windsor-Essex Student Transportation Services (WESTS): provides safety pointers, programs/training, and updates if buses are running or cancelled due to bad weather.
  • Windsor Police Service- Safety Patrol: Student volunteers wearing lime-green vests are trained as Foot and Bus Patrollers supporting the safety of their peers.

Additional Resources and Support

Student council or student wellness council to actively participate in identifying school needs and activities to address those needs.

School Campaigns and Social Media

Resources and Support in the Community

  • The Safety Village: Check for onsite events so that your child can safely explore the mini village, learning that can be put into practice in their neigbourhood.
  • BusKids.ca (French) also known as Windsor-Essex Student Transportation Services (WESTS): provides safety pointers, programs/training, and updates if buses are running or cancelled due to bad weather.
  • Windsor Police Service- Safety Patrol: Student volunteers wearing lime-green vests are trained as Foot and Bus Patrollers supporting the safety of their peers.

Additional Resources and Support