With the school year well underway, officials are sounding the alarm about a noticeable increase in dangerous driving behaviours at school intersections. Some crossing guards in Ottawa say they are seeing impatient drivers putting others on the road at risk while reminding drivers to slow down and share the road. Crossing guard Linda Laight, a team lead with the Ottawa Safety Council, frequently works at intersections across Ottawa’s west end. She says it’s not unusual to see aggressive behaviour from drivers. “When you’ve got cars that are honking and they’re aggressive and they’re coming at you, it’s a little unsettling,” she said. Laight explains that impatient drivers aren’t waiting until the crossing guard and pedestrians have cleared the roadway, while others can speed through traffic lights. “You should be waiting,” she said. “I mean, is it 10 seconds? Is it two seconds? That could be all it really is. But in those times where you’re not making that best decision or call, terrible things can happen.” Jason Wilson, CEO of the Ottawa Safety Council, says that’s something that’s being seen across the city. He says since the start of this school year, there have been at least three incidents they’re aware of where pedestrians have been struck by vehicles when crossing guards were present. “It’s really, really, concerning,” he said. “We just want to ask drivers to take a little bit of extra time, stop and make sure the crosswalk is completely clear before proceeding through.” He says at Bank Street and Fifth Avenue alone, officials have calculated cars pushing through the intersection up to eight times a day. “If you think you have half a lane and can squeeze through, please don’t do that. Wait until all pedestrians are completely off of the roadway.” The call comes at the start of National Bus Safety Week. Drivers are encouraged to stop and keep a safe distance from a school bus that has it’s stop sign out and lights flashing. Prashast Srivastava, a father in the east end, says his young daughter is in junior kindergarten and while dropping her off in the morning, he’s seen many drivers trying to rush through. He says he’s not just worried for his own daughter, but for all families. “I see a lot of people, especially in the school hours, not following the traffic rules here. They are jumping the red lights and also, they are a bit fast for the school zone, so that’s a matter of concern for me,” he said. Laight says she’s asking drivers to slow down and be patient. “It may not be your child that’s crossing, or you may not have a family member crossing there, but there’s somebody’s family member that’s crossing there.” Ottawa’s police chief recently urged drivers to slow down and pay attention following a string of fatal collisions in the city. So far this year, there have been 30 fatal traffic-related incidents compared to 23 in 2025.
