Drivers are engaging in dangerous behaviour in school zones: BCAA

Students will be heading back to school soon, but a new survey has found drivers aren’t following the rules in school zones.

A survey from BCAA finds drivers are engaging in dangerous behaviour in school zones, such as speeding, failing to stop at crosswalks, and distracted driving.

The survey asked British Columbians to identify behaviours they saw often in school zones during the past school year. Ninety one percent reported seeing speeding over the limit in school zones, while 84 per cent said they witness distracted driving.

Most of the respondents – 88 per cent believe these habits are putting children’s lives at risk.

Linda Lawlor, an associate manager with BCAA Community Impact, said drivers are not stopping at crosswalks.

“We just want to remind drivers to slow down and keep focused on the road,” she said. “School is just around the corner, so it is a busy time for everyone.”

Haakon Koyote, a volunteer with Vision Zero Vancouver, an organization that advocates for zero fatalities on the city’s roads, said he wasn’t surprised by the results.

“We know that the most important thing for safety on our roads is getting speeds down to 30 km/h,” he said. “At 50 km/h, eight out of 10 people who are in a crash will die.”

Koyote said the group wants to see 30 km/h at all school zones in the city, as well as speed cameras installed near schools to ticket drivers.

“I personally am starting to get frustrated with this,” he said. “I think it’s turning into the conversation around gun control in the United States, where we get thoughts and prayers from politicians, but we’re not getting action – and we don’t need to wait because we know what works.”

Data from ICBC, found that three children are killed and 359 are injured in crashes while walking or cycling every year in the province. In school and playground zones, 51 children are injured in crashes every year.

The survey was conducted by BCAA from June 13 to June 16, 2025, among a sample of 800 British Columbians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum.