Print

E-mail

Text

Another summer season draws to an unofficial close this long weekend.

Parents across the city are surely breathing a sigh of relief as they mark the last remaining days of August off the calendar in anticipation of the return to school.

Tents and campers have been replaced by backpacks and notebooks. Rising from bed at a leisurely pace is replaced by the din of a too-early alarm, signalling the return to lives governed by a clock.

But as we celebrate together in the final weekend of the school break, let's also step back and resolve to make the transition from late summer to early fall a safe one.

Children in neighbourhoods across the city will be making their first trip to the classroom this year. Be especially cognizant of those little ones on Tuesday morning when you are on your commute to the office or shop floor. Fleets of yellow school buses will be out in full force, sharing the roads with us once again on Tuesday. Please be aware of them and their precious cargo, mind your speed in school zones and clearly signal your driving intentions to pedestrians and fellow motorists alike when you're on the road.

But we all share an equal responsibility to observe safe practices, be courteous to one another and ensure we all reach our respective destinations once school restarts. That includes pedestrians. Cross roads at signalled and controlled intersections. Make sure you are visible to motorists and never assume a moving car can see you and react in time. This extends to transit users running for a bus or those pooling at busy stops and jostling for a spot in line.

Back to school is a time that is both exciting and nerve-racking for a great many young Torontontians, whether they are entering school for the first time or finishing off a high school education.

If we all pledge to do our part and share our streets with caution and care - motorists, pedestrians and transit users alike - the return to school can be a time of excitement and renewal.

Let's make sure that this new school year starts with safety. Let's be sure that our decisions on the road, starting Tuesday morning and running through to June, are taken with a view to ensuring that no one misses a day of school.