More than half of Ontario parents think their child’s school zone is ‘very unsafe,’ survey finds

John Musselman looks at a new CAA survey which found that most parents feel more needs to be done to reduce congestion in school zones.

A majority of parents in Ontario say they have seen unsafe driving behaviours in their child’s school zone, according to a recent surveyby CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO).

The survey, published on Wednesday, reveals 63 per cent of parents think school zones are “very unsafe,” signalling a 12 per cent jump from 2023.

Eighty-three per cent of survey respondents also reported seeing unsafe driving behaviours in their child’s school zone, CAA SCO notes.

“Speeding, stopping in undesignated areas and double parking are all commonly reported unsafe driving behaviours parents see in their child’s school zones,” Lauren Fisher, CAA SCO’s manager of government relations, said in the study. “To help deal with that, most parents are in favour of increasing safety precautions in school zones, including improved enforcement and penalties.”

The survey also found nearly half of parents are in favour of reducing the speed limit in school zones, saying they consider 30 km/h an appropriate speed. In Ontario, school zone speed limits vary between 30 and 40 km/h.

Outside of erratic driving and speeding, parents also gripe about gridlock, with roughly 80 per cent seeing traffic at drop-off and pick-up times.

“Every parent wants to see their child get to school safely, and an increase in vehicle traffic in these areas can pose a serious safety risk to young road users,” Fisher said.

Are you nervous to drive your kid to school because of the drop-off zone? What sort of unsafe behaviours have you witnessed in a school zone? CTV News Toronto wants to hear from you.

Share your story by emailing us at [e-mail] with your name, general location, and phone number in case we want to follow up. Your comments may be used in a CTV News Toronto story.

This survey received 1,511 responses from Ontario parents and guardians in May 2025, who have children attending school from kindergarten to Grade 8. Based on the sample size, there is a margin of error of +/-2%.