Month-long traffic safety campaign featuring free lawn signs, a sticker design contest, plus an e-bike and e-scooter safety session led by York Regional Police
King Township is putting the brakes on unsafe driving during its Safe Streets Start Here traffic safety campaign, running throughout September to align with the start of the school year when there is an increased need for safety on busier roads and sidewalks. The annual initiative supports Complete Communities, a priority area of King Township’s Corporate Strategic Plan, with the objective to enrich community well-being and make King the ideal place to live, work and play.
Community engagement
The community is encouraged to participate in the campaign to help spread key messages around road safety awareness. There are several ways to do this, including:
Children and youth up to 15 years old are invited to enter a Safe Streets Start Here sticker design contest. Designs will be judged in creativity, originality and how well they represent the general topic of street safety.
Age Categories:
- Five and under
- Six to 11 years old
- 12 to 15 years old
To enter the sticker design contest, download the sticker design template here. Email your completed entrance sheet in pdf or picture format to communications@king.ca by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 12. Please include contact information (first name, last name and address) in the email.
A panel of judges from the Township will select the top finalists from each age category. The three finalists’ designs will be posted on King Township’s Instagram channel for community voting—one winner in each age category. Winners will receive a King Township prize pack, a limited print run of their sticker design, and the artistic satisfaction of seeing their design used in the 2026 Safe Streets Start Here campaign.
Finalists will be announced on social media the week of September 22.
Pick-up a FREE “Safe Streets Start Here” lawn sign to install on your property throughout September, which will serve as a visual reminder to drive, walk and bike safely through local neighbourhoods. Signs are available at the King Township Municipal Centre, all three library branches in King City, Nobleton and Schomberg and the Trisan Centre in Schomberg, while quantities last.
Every year 50,000 children are seriously injured in bike-related incidents and 50 per cent of vehicle collisions with pedestrians or cyclists are caused by drivers failing to yield. With the rise in usage of motorized bicycles and scooters, it’s important that motorists and cyclists share the road, obey all laws and ensure they are equipped with the right safety equipment. Offences are subject to fines.
Drop by Zancor Centre in King City on Saturday, Sept. 20 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. to learn from York Regional Police about the proper use of e-bikes and e-scooters, including age requirements and helmet safety.
Road safety information and resources
Speeding was one of the primary contributors to fatal Motor Vehicle Collisions (MVCs) in 2024, accounting for 30 per cent of incidents. At 60 km/h, a pedestrian hit by a car has an almost 0 per cent chance of survival. At 30 km/h, that jumps to 90 per cent.
Automated Speed Enforcement technology is a proven safety tool which has shown significant reductions in speeding and collisions in surrounding municipalities.
King Township’s Community Safety Camera Program uses ASE to improve road safety in two high-risk areas Western Avenue and Elmwood Avenue, near St. Patrick Catholic Elementary School in Schomberg and 19th Sideroad and Dufferin Street, near the Thornton Bales Conservation Area. A grace period up until the start of the school year on September 2 will be in place before ticketing starts. Drivers caught speeding before then will receive a warning letter only. After that, fines will apply. ASE is a proven safety tool which has shown significant reductions in speeding and collisions. For more information, visit king.ca/ASE.
Every year 50,000 children are seriously injured in bike-related incidents and 50 per cent of vehicle collisions with pedestrians or cyclists are caused by drivers failing to yield.
Cyclists, keep safe by wearing a helmet but also by riding tight to the right side of the road, walking your bike across intersections, using hand signals while turning, and ensuring your bike has the legally required white light in the front and read light (or reflector) on the back. There is a $110 fine for riding without lights in Ontario.
Motorists, leave room and never pass on a hill or sharp curve. Have patience and keep cyclists safe! Drivers in Ontario are legally required to give cyclists at least one metre of space while passing them on the road. YRP encourages cyclists, and witnesses, to report close calls to Road Watch.
Any instances of dangerous driving can be reported and any supporting evidence, including video, is welcome.
More than 90 per cent of all collisions involving pedestrians result in injuries or fatalities.
Stay safe while out for a walk by always looking both ways before crossing the street, wearing bright and reflective clothing, carrying a flashlight at night, only crossing street at designated crosswalks or intersections and staying off your phone while walking. For an in depth list of pedestrian safety tips, visit ontario.ca/pedestrian-safety.
Drivers should wait for pedestrians to finish crossing before entering an intersection and give extra space to pedestrians on roads without sidewalks.
Drivers can face fines and demerit points for endangering pedestrians. This includes failing to yield at pedestrian crosswalks and school crossings, and failing to stop for a school bus.
Impaired and distracted driving are among the top five road safety concerns in York Region. According to the YRP’s 2024 Annual Statistics Report there were 74 cases of impaired driving in King Township in throughout 2024. According to the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, when drivers take their eyes off the road for more than two seconds, their crash risk doubles.
Impaired and distracted driving are considered serious offences that can result in fines and demerit points. Keep our roads and yourself safe by driving sober, calling a ride home when impaired, taking breaks while driving to eat or drink, turning phone notifications off while in the car or having a passenger answer messages for you.
Distracted driving includes (but is not limited to) the use of phones or handheld communication devices to text or dial, the use of portable gaming systems and tablets. For a full list of prohibited activities, visit ontario.ca/distracted-driving.
Suspected cases of impaired or distracted driving can be reported to the York Regional Police using the online reporting system. You can include any details of the event including the license plate of the vehicle.
If there is an immediate danger to yourself or others, call 9-1-1 to report suspected impaired driving.
