Members of the Quinte Region Traffic Coalition are seen with a student silhouette. The coalition is expanding its active school travel campaign in 2024 to address collisions and enhance overall community safety. /QRTC photo
Quinte region residents can expect to see more student silhouettes popping up on area roads as the Quinte Region Traffic Coalition (QRTC) continues to push for safer roads and better behaviour behind the wheel.
The coalition recently announced this year its Active School Travel campaign is expanding across the region.
After wins in Quinte West through the campaign, the coalition has netted another successful grant through the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), which will enable expansion, said the QRTC.
Part of the campaign includes temporary installation of road-side student silhouettes in high-traffic school zones – a tool Quinte West OPP staff Sgt. Jeremy Doolan says works.
“These student silhouettes are a great road safety tool that supports the Active School Travel campaign and helps maintain safer roadways within our school zones,” said Doolan, who also serves as co-chair of the QRTC.
Monies are funnelling through the MTO’s road safety community partnership program, enabling the coalition to partner on this campaign with municipalities that haven’t yet adopted student silhouettes and related safety messaging.
The campaign promotes safe driving behaviours, such as obeying posted 40 km/h speed limits, avoiding distractions while behind the wheel, and others.
Through the campaign, silhouettes will now be installed in Bancroft, Prince Edward County, Central Hastings, and Belleville, with a change in location for existing Quinte West student silhouettes.
The campaign is described as a collaborative effort between organizations with the coalition and other area partners, including schools and municipalities.
Through the coalition, partners gather and assess collision data to identify locations that may benefit from the signs, approve and install the signs, and work at surrounding messaging,
Ultimately, the campaign is meant to address collisions and enhance overall community safety through education, enforcement and engineering, explained the coalition.
Municipalities interested in joining the campaign can email healthycommunities@hpeph.ca.
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
