New Aviva Canada survey finds that, in the last year, 37% of parents have witnessed a car collision or near miss in a school zone, and over 70% of those involved a child
TORONTO–Aviva Canada and Parachute, a Canada’s national charity dedicated to injury prevention, have partnered up through their Elementary Road Safety Program – bringing safer school zones to communities across the country. Over the next five years, 20 schools from across Canada will be selected to each receive $10,000 and program support from Aviva Canada and Parachute, which will go to make tangible environmental changes to improve road safety in their school zones.
“Our recent road safety survey revealed that nearly a quarter of Canadians, or someone they know, have been involved in a road related collision near their school, which is completely unacceptable,” says Catherine Brown, Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at Aviva Canada. “Through our new social impact platform, Take Back Our Roads, we’re working with experts to make infrastructure changes that make our roads safer. Our partnership with Parachute and the creation of the Elementary Road Safety Program is a perfect example of that commitment.”
The first schools selected for the Elementary Road Safety Program are:
St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Elementary School (Vaughan, Ontario), Phoebe Gilman Public School (East Gwillimbury, Ontario) and St. Stephen Catholic School (Ottawa, Ontario).
The remaining 17 schools will be selected over the next two years through consultations with school boards and public safety groups across Canada. All Elementary Road Safety program recipients will receive a step-by-step project guide, as well as access to a dedicated Elementary Road Safety project manager and an evaluator from Parachute to support them every step of the way.
“We’re delighted to partner with Aviva Canada on this important initiative to improve safety in school zones across Canada so more children will walk or bike to school,” says Pamela Fuselli, President and CEO of Parachute. “Initiatives such as these based on evidence make meaningful and lasting positive change for our communities and, most importantly, for the wellbeing of our children.”
Aviva Canada and Parachute have also developed a digital version of the Elementary Road Safety Guide available at www.takebackourroads.ca and www.parachute.ca/elementaryroadsafety for any parent or school group interested in making their school zone safer but not initially selected as part of the official program.
Aviva Canada’s Road Safety Survey
To gauge how Canadians – and especially Canadian parents – feel about road safety, Aviva Canada conducted a survey in July 2019 and found:
>Over the past 12 months, 37 per cent of parents with school-aged children report having witnessed a collision or near miss involving a car in a school zone.
>Of those respondents, nearly three-quarters of them (more than 70 per cent) report that the incident involved a child.
> Canadians are even less aware of traffic rules that pertain to school buses, which may explain why 50 per cent indicate they have witnessed a car illegally pass a school bus in their school zone.
> 22 per cent of Canadians have also been involved, or know of someone who has been injured in a road-related collision in and around their local school zone.
About Aviva Canada
Aviva Canada is one of the leading property and casualty insurance groups in the country, providing home, automobile, leisure/lifestyle and business insurance to 2.8 million customers. A subsidiary of UK-based Aviva plc, Aviva Canada has more than 4,000 employees focused on creating a bright and sustainable future for our customers and our communities.
Aviva Canada invests in safer Canadian communities through Aviva Take Back Our Roads. Launched in 2019, we’re investing in data driven solutions and strategic collaborations to make safer roads a reality for all. Aviva Canada, bringing over 300 years of good thinking and insurance solutions to Canadians from coast-to-coast.
For more information, visit aviva.ca or Aviva Canada’s blog, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages.
Parachute is Canada’s national charity dedicated to reducing the devastating impact of preventable injuries. Injury is the No. 1 killer of Canadians aged 1 to 34, where on average one child dies every day due to injury. Through education and advocacy, Parachute is working to save lives and create a Canada free of serious injuries.
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