COMMUNITY
Students Take the Lead on CAA School Safety Patrol®
Leaving the car behind and opting for active travel to school encourages healthy living and provides safety benefits, too.
By Alexis Nicols
Walking to school and home again is a great way for your student to enjoy some exercise and fresh air each day. | PHOTO: PRESSMASTER/ENVATO
IN SEPTEMBER, as the leaves start to turn, backpacks make their annual comeback, signalling the return of school — and with it, the seemingly endless drop-off lines and school-zone congestion. But there’s an easy way around those frustrating lineups and long waits: students and families living close to school can leave the car in the driveway and enjoy walking and biking instead.
Whether for a university student cycling across campus or a young learner navigating the neighbourhood on foot, active travel is a smart move. It builds independence, improves physical and mental health, reduces emissions and helps to ease traffic around busy school zones. In Ontario, the CAA School Safety Patrol® program adds another layer of safety to help students make that daily journey. Since 1929, this legacy program has trained tens of thousands of student volunteers to assist their peers in crossing streets, navigating school drop-offs and managing safety aboard school buses. “It’s been 95 years for Ontario. We see generations being part of this program: grandparents, parents and children,” says Anna Mierzejewski, unit manager for Road Safety Programs at CAA. “Every single time I meet with police or school staff, someone says, ‘I was a patroller.’ ”
“We work with the people who know these school zones best. They know the risks, the patterns and what needs extra attention.”
Today, Ontario's program includes foot patrollers that manage crosswalks, school driveways and school drop-off/pick-up lines, as well as bus patrollers that help the bus driver keep students safe on the drive to and from school. Each CAA School Safety Patroller is trained in collaboration with local partners, such as police services and school bus consortia. CAA provides curriculum and safety guidelines, while those community partners deliver hands-on training adapted to local traffic challenges. “We work with the people who know these school zones best. They know the risks, the patterns and what needs extra attention,” says Mierzejewski.
Student patrollers, typically in Grades 5 through 8, are not only taught how to keep others safe, but also how to lead. The program cultivates decision-making, awareness and community responsibility, giving kids an opportunity to build confidence and gain leadership experience. “Younger kids look up to them and say, ‘I want to be just like you.’ It creates a real sense of pride and responsibility,” she says.
Sometimes, those lessons extend far beyond the schoolyard. Mierzejewski recalls one story from Ontario in which two brothers noticed a small child alone at a bus stop after being dropped off at the wrong location. One ran to get help, and the other contacted the family using the phone number on the child’s backpack. The child was safely reunited with her parents. “These kids don’t just follow safety rules; they become the calm in a crisis,” she says.
Even for families who still drive, the presence of patrollers can change the daily routine. Some caregivers park a few blocks away and let their kids walk, knowing there’s support nearby. It all adds up to safer, calmer school zones. “The last half kilometre to school can be the most dangerous. Patrollers help make it safer and more manageable for everyone,” says Mierzejewski.
As the back-to-school season kicks off, it’s a perfect time to rethink how we get there and consider school commute alternatives. Small changes like walking, biking, or supporting the CAA School Safety Patrol® program can make a big difference for your student — and your community. CAA
Walking to school and home again is a great way for your student to enjoy some exercise and fresh air each day. | PHOTO: PRESSMASTER/ENVATO