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Surrey Police Service shares back-to-school safety tips
With Surrey schools returning Sept. 8, SPS is urging drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and families to take extra care around busy school zones.
Surrey Police Service has issued safety reminders ahead of the 2026-27 school year, which begins Sept. 8. The service says school zones, residential neighbourhoods and main roads will become much busier as students and families travel to school.
SPS's Road Safety Section urged motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to use extra caution during the back-to-school period, which can last several weeks while people adjust to greater foot and vehicle traffic. ICBC says children are more than twice as likely to be involved in a crash between 8 and 9 a.m. and between 3 and 4 p.m. on school days than during the rest of the day. The section also says 277 children walking or cycling are injured in crashes each year in the Lower Mainland.
The service encouraged parents to discuss road safety with children. It said students from kindergarten to Grade 12 may be excited to see friends after summer, but running across a busy street can be dangerous.
SPS officers, SPS volunteers and ICBC volunteers will be in school zones this September and through the school year for education and enforcement. Unless otherwise posted, school zones have a 30 km/h limit from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on every school day. Playground zones have a 30 km/h limit every day from dawn to dusk.
The service advises people to plan routes, identify school zones and allow extra travel time. Parents and children should review the route to and from school, and children should know emergency contact numbers and their home and school addresses. Drivers should observe school-zone limits, watch for school buses and follow bus safety protocols, and take extra care during school drop-off and pickup.
Students walking or cycling should avoid headphones, earbuds and smartphones near roads, especially while crossing. SPS advises using marked crossings, looking both ways, making eye contact with drivers and staying alert in school drop zones.
SPS and ICBC will also partner with Surrey Schools on events such as Walking Wednesdays, which promote walking and cycling instead of driving to school. The initiative is intended to teach parents and students about reducing school-zone traffic and fuel emissions, as well as the health and wellness benefits of physical activity during the commute. More information is available at surreypolice.ca/trafficsafety.