More than 5,000 tickets were issued to road users as part of the recent Back to School Safety campaign in Toronto.

Between September 9 and 17, Toronto Police officers focused on school zone safety across the city.

The campaign was aimed at reminding all road users about increased traffic across Toronto, specifically within school and residential zones. Officers focused on “The Big 4” behaviours that are known to cause injuries to those using our roads and identified drivers who were speeding, driving aggressively, driving while distracted and driving while impaired.

In addition to enforcement efforts, Neighbourhood Community Officers also patrolled school zones and handed out educational material to community members to increase awareness around traffic safety.

Parking Enforcement Officers also distributed educational pamphlets along with targeted enforcement, with the goal of reducing parking infractions, eliminating unsafe conditions and decreasing traffic congestion within school zones.

A total of 5,036 tickets were issued, with speeding being the most common violation. The breakdown is as follows:

• Speeding –2,653
• Aggressive Driving –991
• Distracted Driving –250
• Other–1,142

Of these tickets, 1,531 were issued for violations within 300 metres of a school. Of those, 591 were speed related and another 465 were for aggressive driving.

Police Constable Brandon Caron thanked all those who helped spread the traffic safety message.

“After a very long hiatus from school it is imperative to remind all road users of the impact road safety has on our communities, especially school aged children who are among the most vulnerable road users,” Constable Caron said. “It is important that we all continue the conversation and remember road safety is a shared responsibility.”