By Canadian Press

Quebec police chiefs calling for increased caution in school zones as accidents rise

Jan 27, 2025 | 12:02 PM

MONTREAL — An association representing Quebec’s police chiefs is sounding the alarm that the number of collisions involving children transported by school bus has climbed back to levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Officials say that in 2023, 320 children in the province were involved in collisions related to school transportation — the equivalent of two per day during the school year.

The total includes collisions with buses and also when children are struck getting on or off a bus, and the 2023 figure represents a sharp rise after declines were recorded between 2020 and 2022.

As they launched a campaign today to curtail dangerous driving, the police chiefs’ association said half the drivers involved in the accidents were aged 25 to 44.

Longueuil police Chief Patrick Bélanger says most of the people stopped for school zone infractions are parents in a hurry.

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The association says that because of the way the data was gathered, it’s not possible to know the extent of injuries stemming from the accidents.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2025.

The Canadian Press