While it might be sufficient in other cities, it’s a well-known fact that looking both ways before crossing the street in Toronto simply isn’t enough to guarantee one’s safety.
Pedestrians encounter traffic-packed roadways, narrow sidewalks and unpredictable motorists — and for kids, navigating the streets on foot can be especially intense.
For parents, the statistics for pedestrian collisions involving youth in the city can be alarming.
According to Toronto police, there were 1,693 reported motor vehicle collisions involving pedestrians in 2024, or 4.6 pedestrians struck each day — the most since 2019. Pedestrians 17 and younger were involved in roughly 10 per cent of those incidents.
Read more at ‘Assume every driver is stupid’: How to teach kids to cross busy streets in Toronto – TorontoToday.ca, March 10, 2025
Photo: Avenue Road Safety Coalition member Brock Howse crossing busy 6-lane Avenue Road with his daughter. Photo by Alex Flood
