Parents rushing to drop their kids off at school could be unwittingly putting their little ones in harm’s way, a new paper suggests. Researchers at the University of Calgary found that dangerous driving behaviors were spotted at a jaw-dropping 98% of elementary schools monitored in their study during morning drop-off times.
The biggest risk? Parents letting kids off on the wrong side of the street, forcing children to dash across traffic without proper crosswalks. This happened at 80% of the 552 schools studied, creating a serious safety hazard during the busiest time of the school day.
“The occurrence of risky driving behaviors is unacceptably high,” write researchers in their study published in Traffic Injury Prevention. Their findings expose a troubling paradox: parents who drive children to school thinking it’s safer may actually be making conditions more dangerous.
Which Risky Driving Behaviors are the Worst at Schools?
The research team, representing universities and institutions across Canada, documented nine specific types of risky driving behaviors. Beyond dangerous mid-block crossings, they frequently observed drivers blocking sightlines (72%), making U-turns in front of schools (66%), and double parking (57%).
Interestingly, phone use or texting was the least common risk behavior overall (20%).
These behaviors feed what researchers describe as a dangerous cycle. As more parents see the school zone as unsafe for walking or biking, they opt to drive their kids, increasing traffic congestion and creating even more hazards. This further discourages active transportation and perpetuates the problem.
“Risky walking and biking environments near schools may create a vicious cycle, wherein parents view the environment as too dangerous for children to participate in active school transportation so drive them to school, thus increasing traffic volumes,” the researchers explain.
Common Characteristics Across Safest School Zones
The study covered 552 elementary schools in Calgary, Laval, Montreal, Peel Region, Surrey, Toronto, and Vancouver. Research assistants positioned themselves near school entrances during morning drop-offs, recording whether any of nine specific dangerous driving behaviors occurred while also gathering data on the physical environment around schools.
Perhaps the most valuable insights came when researchers compared schools with the fewest dangerous behaviors to those with the most. Schools with safer drop-offs typically had lower speed limits (30km/h or 40km/h rather than 50+ km/h), more direct access to entrances, and more parking restrictions on surrounding streets.
Traffic-calming measures made a significant difference. Curb extensions – sections of sidewalk that extend into the parking lane to narrow the roadway – were present at 34% of schools with the fewest risky behaviors but just 6% of schools with the most dangerous driving. These extensions not only slow traffic but also reduce the distance pedestrians must travel when crossing.
Another striking finding involved crossing guards. Child crossing guards (without adult supervision) were more often present at schools with higher rates of dangerous driving, while adult crossing guards were linked to fewer risky behaviors. This suggests adult guards may be more effective at deterring dangerous driving than children alone.
Neighborhoods with better “Active Living Environment” scores — areas designed to promote walking and physical activity — had fewer instances of risky driving around schools, indicating that community-wide urban design plays a role in reducing dangers.
Source: https://studyfinds.org/how-rushed-parents-are-making-morning-drop-off-at-school-dangerous/
