Travel slowly and safely!
Winter is not done yet! With snow in the forecast for Vaughan today, the City of Vaughan is urging drivers and pedestrians to follow the rules of the road, obey speed limits and drive safely according to the conditions.
Tips for drivers:
- Check weather and road conditions before leaving home or work. You may need to allow extra travel time, wait until conditions improve or use York Region Transit.
- Keep a safe distance from snowplows and salting equipment.
- Reduce speed in school zones and be ready to stop at all times.
- Give yourself enough time to get to your destination without the need for speed.
- 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.
- Stop for school buses and be aware of children running in front of or behind buses.
- Obey the rules of the road, including posted speed limits.
- Obey crossing guard signals 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 the car and the crosswalks and/or stop signs when parking. Parking too close to these locations makes it difficult to see children when crossing the road.
Tips for pedestrians:
- Be mindful of slippery conditions on sidewalks and roadways.
- Walk young children to school.
- Encourage children to always obey crossing guards.
- Walk, don’t run, when crossing the street.
- Pay attention to vehicular traffic while walking along or crossing roads.
- 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.
#SlowDownVaughan
All year-round, you can play a part in encouraging drivers to obey speed limits with the City’s #SlowDownVaughan campaign. Vaughan residents can post a #SlowDownVaughan sign on their lawn, in their windows or on their social media profiles to encourage the public to slow down while driving on City roads. Lawn signs are available at community centres (excluding Garnet A. Williams Community Centre) and the three Vaughan Public Libraries Resource Libraries – Bathurst Clark, Civic Centre and Pierre Berton. Citizens can also download print-at-home window signs or social media graphics at vaughan.ca/SlowDownVaughan. Signs are produced by the City and are free to Vaughan residents.
Citizens are also encouraged to show support for safe driving by sharing pictures of their signs and using the hashtag #SlowDownVaughan on social media. Visit vaughan.ca/SlowDownVaughan for more information on this initiative.
For updates and news as they happen, subscribe to Vaughan News and follow the official corporate channels on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
-30-