Gareth Jones
President and CEO, Canada Safety Council
Lewis Smith
Manager, National Projects at Canada Safety Council
From school buses to smartphones, safety today spans roads and screens. Parents, educators: you play an important role.
From school buses to smartphones, a child’s day no longer moves through one environment at a time. It flows seamlessly from sidewalks to screens, from classrooms to group chats. For parents and educators, safety today is not divided between “road” and “online.” Rather, it is a shared responsibility that follows children wherever they go.
The Canada Safety Council (CSC) believes protecting children today means staying attentive across all these spaces. Though the risks may look different, the goal remains the same: helping young people move through their world in safety and with confidence.
“We often speak about road safety and online safety as though they are separate conversations,” said Gareth Jones, President and CEO of the Canada Safety Council. “But from a child’s perspective, it’s simply one continuous day. When we are consistent in the expectations we set, children become more confident, capable, and prepared to navigate their world safely.”
On the Road: Small Habits with Big Consequences
Each school day, thousands of Canadian children rely on school buses. According to Transport Canada, school buses remain the safest form of transportation in Canada. Injuries and fatalities still occur when drivers ignore stopped bus signals or speed through school zones.
CSC urges drivers to stop in both directions when a school bus activates its red lights and stop arm, unless on a divided highway. Parents and guardians can reinforce that safety message with children by regularly reviewing pedestrian safety rules.
When we are consistent in the expectations we set, children become more confident, capable, and prepared to navigate their world safely.
Young pedestrians should cross only at marked crosswalks or intersections, obey traffic signals and make eye contact with drivers before stepping off the curb. Backpacks and hoods can limit peripheral vision, while earbuds and phones create distraction. Remove headphones and ensure all devices are put away before crossing the street. It’s a simple but powerful habit.
Driveways and parking lots also present risks. Children may assume that drivers can see them and will react accordingly, but a driver may not anticipate a child moving unpredictably. Slow down, scan carefully, and teach children to avoid darting between parked cars.
At Home and Online: The New Safety Frontier
The journey doesn’t end at the front door. For many children, the next crossing is digital.
Statistics Canada reports that a significant proportion of youth experience cyberbullying before finishing high school — as many as 1 in 4. The Canada Safety Council advises parents and guardians to treat online harassment as seriously as in-person bullying. Early conversations about respectful behaviour and privacy can prevent harm before it escalates.
Mental health also intersects with digital life. Constant connectivity can amplify stress and social comparison. CSC encourages families to build in device-free time and to model balanced screen use.
Keeping children safe today means paying attention to the full path they travel: on sidewalks, on wheels, online. Slow down in school zones. Put devices away at crosswalks. Pause before posting. Safety is rarely built on one dramatic intervention — it grows through small, consistent habits that help children move through their world with awareness and confidence.
For more information, please visit canadasafetycouncil.org.
