This summer, let’s #SlowDownVaughan

Help keep everyone safe by following the rules of the road

School is almost out for the summer, which means kids will be spending more time outdoors in our community. The City of Vaughan is reminding drivers to hit the brakes on speeding and put safety in the driver’s seat. Let’s all do our part to keep Vaughan’s roads safe this summer and beyond.

Children, parents, guardians and drivers need to be alert and follow the rules of the road. Take extra precautions around crosswalks, intersections, pedestrian crossovers, schools and parks. Here are some safety tips to keep in mind:

For drivers:

• Check the weather and road conditions before leaving home or work. You may need to allow extra travel time or wait until conditions improve.
• Expect the unexpected. Children may cross the street at the wrong place, run into oncoming traffic or ride a bike in front of a vehicle without warning.
• Obey the rules of the road, including posted speed limits.

• Obey all traffic signs and signals. Stop at all stop signs and yield to pedestrians.
• Pay attention to your surroundings. Watch for, stop and yield the whole roadway to pedestrians when approaching a pedestrian crossover. Failing to do so may result in fines from York Regional Police of up to $1,000 and four demerit points.
• Leave nine metres (or 29 feet) between your vehicle and crosswalks and/or stop signs when parking. Parking too close to these objects makes it difficult to see children crossing the road.
• Look for stopped buses, large vehicles and maintenance trucks that can obstruct the view of pedestrians.
• Take extra time to look for children at intersections, on medians or curbs.
• Enter and exit driveways and laneways with extra caution.
• Avoid distractions within the vehicle and ensure children are secured in a correctly installed child restraint seat if required.
• Ensure children exit on the passenger side of the vehicle.
• Use extra caution when driving in hard-to-see conditions, such as nighttime or bad weather.

For pedestrians:

• Be mindful of slippery conditions on sidewalks and roadways.
• Walk, don’t run, when crossing the street.
• Pay attention to vehicular traffic while walking along or crossing roads, entering or exiting driveways, or backing up in parking lots.
• Obey all traffic rules and signals.
• Ensure you are visible to drivers and cyclists and make eye contact once they have stopped before crossing.
• Cross at designated crosswalks, crossovers or controlled intersections only.
• Wear reflective clothing or carry something bright during low light or dark conditions.

Show your commitment to safety and urge your community to drive safely and obey speed limits on roads by participating in the City’s #SlowDownVaughan initiative. There are many ways you can get involved:

• Place a #SlowDownVaughan sign on your lawn. Pick up a sign at Vaughan community centres (excluding Garnet A. Williams Community Centre while it remains temporarily closed for renovations) and the three Vaughan Public Libraries Resource Libraries – Bathurst Clark, Civic Centre and Pierre Berton. Signs are produced by the City and are free to take.
• Download (PDF) and print a #SlowDownVaughan sign to hang in your window. 
• Post about this initiative on social media using the hashtag #SlowDownVaughan (supporting graphics are available on the City’s website).

Committing to #SlowDownVaughan and adjusting your driving habits may help save a life. To date, our community has picked up approximately 6,100 signs from community centres, libraries and City-led events. To learn more about this city-wide campaign, visit vaughan.ca/SlowDownVaughan.

#SlowDownVaughan is just one of several road safety initiatives underway. The City’s MoveSmart Mobility Management Strategy (MoveSmart) sets the direction and priorities while ensuring an efficient, reliable, safe and sustainable transportation system. MoveSmart was guided by input received from the public, which identified road safety and effective traffic management as top priorities to help meet the existing and evolving needs of the community. The strategy consists of four programs, one of them being the Road Safety Program, created to increase road safety and raise public awareness. Read more about Vaughan’s road safety initiatives in this handbook.

Also part of MoveSmart is the Speed Limit Policy, a speed management tool to set and adjust appropriate speed limits throughout the City’s street network. For more information, visit vaughan.ca/SpeedPolicy.

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