Do Your Kids Know the Rules of the Road?
How the Ontario Road Safety Resource can help teach one of the most important back-to-school lessons
How the Ontario Road Safety Resource can help teach one of the most important back-to-school lessons
Back-to-school season is here again, as evidenced by the mad dash for school supplies and the groans of children everywhere. It also happens to be the perfect time of year to discuss road safety. After all, car collisions are one of the leading causes of injury and death of Ontario’s children and youth—and they’re often preventable.
The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO), the Ontario Physical and Health Education Association (OPHEA) and the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) pooled their knowledge and expertise to create the Ontario Road Safety Resource. Intended for teachers, public health officials and community leaders, this free online curriculum-based resource is designed to provide students from kindergarten to Grade 12 with skills, knowledge and general awareness around the rules of the road.
Since over two million students commute to schools every day in Ontario, CAA South Central Ontario has always made road safety a priority. “We’re proud to offer the Ontario Road Safety Resource and believe it will have a significant impact on the well-being of our children,” says Teresa Di Felice, assistant vice-president of government and community relations at CAASCO.
The Ontario Road Safety Resource has two parts: lesson plans and tool kits. Lesson plans cover a variety of topics, which are integrated with curriculum requirements such as literacy, health and physical education, and customized for specific age groups.
Topics for younger students include bus, pedestrian and bicycle safety, with related tips and advice. The lessons taught in this comprehensive program include making sure to cross at a light or a crosswalk, making eye contact with drivers before stepping off the curb and knowing hand signals when riding a bike.
For older students, there are lessons on issues such as distracted driving, speeding and aggressive driving, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. They’ll also learn how to avoid the many distractions inside and outside the vehicle, and about the very serious consequences of driving while intoxicated.
The tool kits are meant to engage the school community. In them, you’ll find project ideas with accompanying resources, full-day and week-long campaigns with activities and step-by-step instructions, and a whole lot more.
“Back to school should be an exciting time for children, and we want to keep it that way,” says Di Felice. “This resource proactively addresses road safety so that we can prevent collisions from ever happening.”
Find road safety resources for Grades K to 12 at ontarioroadsafety.ca.
Learn about the easy technique that helps keep all road users safe and find out how one innovative driving simulator could make a difference in road safety.
Plus, discover how CAA’s advocacy efforts are working to ensure safer roads for everyone.