On Tuesday, May 17, 2022, a CAA School Zone Safety Assessment was conducted at Christ the King School in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan. The assessment took place before school from 8:15 a.m. to 8:50 a.m., lunch dismissal from 11:50 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and after school from 3:10 p.m. to 3:40 p.m.

Photo courtesy of the Town of Shaunavon

Staff from the Town of Shaunavon, the Shaunavon RCMP detachment, and community volunteers worked onsite in teams to track risky behaviours performed by motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists in the school zone.

“The CAA School Zone Safety Assessment is an online application (app) that tracks the identified risky behaviours and ultimately provides education and awareness about the importance of school zone safety,” said Lona Gervais, Communications Specialist for CAA Saskatchewan. “The assessment tool is free of charge and can be booked through CAA Saskatchewan.” School or community staff must make themselves available for onsite tracking and can work with CAA to establish the risky behaviours to be tracked. The results are collected and given to the school community to share with staff, students, families, community partners, and decision makers regarding necessary steps to improve the safety in their school zones.

Bonnie Lingenfelter, Regional Bylaw Officer for the Town of Shaunavon, remarked “It’s vital we work on providing the safest place for our children to attend school. Safety may not be top of mind. Through the CAA School Zone Safety Assessment App, we can track motorist, pedestrian, and cyclist risky behaviours, for the purpose to educate and grow our community into the safest place for our children to live, play, and flourish.” This is the Town of Shaunavon’s second CAA School Zone Safety Assessment this spring. The first assessment was at Shaunavon Public School on March 29.

According to the May 17 Christ the King School assessment, the top hazardous driving behaviours that motorists perform in the school zone are failing to yield or stop, speeding, and failing to signal to turn or to change lanes. The top risky pedestrian behaviours are jaywalking and failing to look both ways before crossing the street. The top risky cyclist behaviours are not wearing a bicycle helmet, not dismounting bike to cross the street, and failing to look both ways.

CAA reminds motorists that we can work together to make our school zones safe by:

• Observing and obeying the posted speed limits and hours that the speed limits are enforced
• Eliminating distracted driving
• Obeying traffic laws
• Understanding and abiding by the ‘no stopping’ and ‘no parking’ signage

It’s good safety practice for pedestrians to STOP, LOOK, LISTEN and THINK before crossing streets and busy intersections. Students and families, please remember to cross at crosswalks and marked intersections and never jaywalk. Avoid being a distracted pedestrian – be alert and attentive by putting your mobile devices away and removing headphones and earphones.

CAA reminds families and cyclists that bicycles are considered, by law, a vehicle on the road and cyclists must obey the same rules when travelling on the road. If you dismount and walk alongside your bike, you’re considered a pedestrian and have the same rights as a pedestrian.

The combined number of risky behaviours at Christ the King School during the CAA School Zone Safety Assessment is 209. Detailed results are attached.

Learn more at caask.ca/schoolzonesafety and download the CAA Youth Safety booklet.

For further information, contact:

Lona Gervais
Communications Specialist
CAA Saskatchewan
306.537.5758
lona.gervais@caask.ca 

Bonnie Lingenfelter
Regional Bylaw Officer
Town of Shaunavon
306.297.2605
regionalbylaw@gmail.com

Tara Fritz
Chief Administrative Officer
Town of Shaunavon
306.297.2605
shaunavon@sasktel.net