The traffic safety focus for the month of September is Back to School Safety.

There will be more traffic on the roads and sidewalks this September as children return to school after the summer holidays. Drivers should be extra cautious, especially when driving in school and playground zones. These areas can get congested in the morning and mid-afternoon, with children walking, biking, being dropped off or picked up by parents, or getting off and on school buses. Slow down and stay alert to help keep children safe on our roads.   

Back to school facts:

• The penalty for failing to stop for a school bus with flashing red lights is $567 and six demerit points.
• Collisions involving school buses are more likely to occur during the morning than later in the day. Two out of five collisions (41.9 per cent) involving school buses occurred between the hours of 7:00 am and 11:00 am (2021/22 school year).
• 52.1 per cent of drivers involved in collisions with school buses committed a driver error, the most common of which was following too closely.
• 75.5 per cent of casualty collisions and 94.6 per cent of property damage collisions involving a school bus occurred in urban areas.

For more information contact:

Sgt. Stacey Fishley
Traffic Unit
Medicine Hat Police Service
Ph: 403-529-8471