Police remind drivers to stop for crossing guards after Waterloo incident

Police are reminding drivers to stop for crossing guards after officers caught a motorist on camera ignoring the rules of the road. CTV's Colton Wiens explains.

Waterloo Regional Police are reminding drivers to slow down in school zones and stop for crossing guards after releasing a video of a recent incident in Waterloo.

The video, posted on X earlier this month, shows a vehicle failing to stop for a crossing guard outside St. Nicholas Catholic School on Sept. 5. The guard is seen stepping into the roadway with a stop paddle raised when a driver continues past.

“There’s no excuse at all. You’re putting the lives of children in danger. You’re putting the life of the crossing guard in danger. It’s just inappropriate driving behaviour,” said Geoff Wilkinson, executive director of the Ontario Traffic Council.

“Every driver should be respecting the space of a crossing guard. Crossing guards are there to support the community, to support kids going to school. And they deserve all the respect that they should get from drivers,” added Bob Henderson, director of transportation services for the City of Waterloo.

Police stopped the motorist shortly after the incident. In the video, the driver admitted to knowing they were required to stop but claimed they believed there was no risk to children on the other side of the road.

“You’ve got a group of kids on the other side of the road. They’re way on the other side of the road. They’re not entering the street until the crossing guard is out, right? There’s no chance I’m hitting anybody,” the driver said in the video.

The officer explained the law requires drivers and cyclists in Ontario to come to a complete stop and remain stopped until a crossing guard’s stop sign is lowered and all pedestrians have cleared the roadway.

“That’s not how it works though. Keep in mind it’s for the crossing guard’s safety too. Right when they’re going across, no one wants a car whizzing by them when they’re this close,” the officer said in the video.

The driver was issued a $365 ticket.

Wilkinson said incidents like this are not uncommon.

“Oftentimes, we’ll also hear about drivers that creep up on crossing guards. So instead of a full stop, they’ll come to a rolling stop. And that’s a scary situation as well for crossing guards who aren’t sure whether that driver is actually going to stop,” he said.

The City of Waterloo said crossing guards are tested each year to ensure they are physically and cognitively able to perform their duties safely.

The Ontario Traffic Council provides more information on school crossing guard safety on its website.