They're the traffic zones where you'd assume drivers would be on their best behaviour but since this school year started Toronto Police have recorded nearly 20,000 offences, including two cases of street racing and an alleged hit and run.
The two-week Back to School traffic safety initiative yielded some shocking results with cops writing 17,533 tickets to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians for speeding, disobeying crossing guards, signs and school bus signals, careless driving and other offences in school zones.
Toronto Police released the results of the campaign Wednesday.
Three shocking incidents stood out. Police claim to have caught two people driving at excessive and highly dangerous speeds in school zones. Police say a
woman was clocked at 101 kilometres per hour and a
man was allegedly caught doing 90km/h in 50 km/h school zones.
Both people were charged under the province's street racing legislation and had their licences suspended and cars impounded for a week.
On the final day of the safety campaign,
a nine-year-old girl was run down at a Queen Street East school crossing in the Beach as she made her way to class. Police charged a 28-year-old man with fail-to-remain and criminal negligence causing bodily harm.
Here's a look at the full results of the Back to School safety campaign:
Of the 17,533 tickets issued:
- 8,857 tickets were issued for speeding offences,
- 170 charges were issued for careless driving,
- 254 tickets were issued to pedestrians,
- 243 tickets were issued to motorists for disobeying crossing guards, pedestrian crossovers and signalized crosswalks,
- 54 tickets were issued for disobeying school bus signals,
- 3,860 tickets were issued to motorists for disobeying traffic signals, following too closely and disobeying signs,
- 686 tickets were issued for seatbelt offences,
- 3,409 tickets were issued to drivers for other offences,
- 344 parking offences were issued for interfering with the safe use of pedestrian crosswalks, crossovers and school zones.