You play an important role in the safety of our community. Your actions can provide Cornwall families with a safe place to play, and Cornwall employees with a safe place to work.

Learn more about fire prevention, or visit Cornwall Police Service's website for information on similar topics.

 Boating Safety

Many Cornwall residents and visitors take advantage of our community's proximity to the water by boating in the St. Lawrence River. The Province of Ontario has shared information to ensure residents can safely enjoy boating:

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 Back-to-School Safety

The City of Cornwall would like to remind residents that school bus, crossing guard, and school zone safety is everyone’s responsibility.

School Bus Safety

  • Under the Highway Traffic Act, motorists travelling in both directions must stop when approaching a school bus that has its upper red lights flashing. The only exception: on roadways separated by a median, traffic coming from the opposite direction is not required to stop.
  • Drivers can be charged for failing to stop for a school bus:
    • First offence: $400 to $2,000 fine and six demerit points
    • Each following offence: $1,000 to $4,000 fine, six demerit points, and up to six months jail time

Crossing Guard Safety

  • School crossing guards are employed by the City of Cornwall to ensure children cross the street safely.
  • Crossing guards create a safe gap in traffic to allow pedestrians to cross safely. Guards also encourage safe behaviour and report incidents and conditions that can present a safety hazard.
  • Crossing guards are given the authority under the Highway Traffic Act to require vehicles to stop and obey their stop sign. Drivers who do not obey a crossing guard could be fined up to $1,000 and lose four demerit points.
  • All vehicles are required to come to a complete stop and remain stopped until the children and crossing guard are safely off the road and have lowered their stop sign. Drivers who break this rule could face a fine of up to $500 and will lose three demerit points.

School Zone Safety

  • Roadways in designated school zones have a speed limit of 40 km/h, and drivers who exceed it by 16 to 29 km/h can lose three demerit points and be fined. Those going 50 km/h over face a loss of six demerit points, a suspended license and up to a $10,000 fine.

Preparing your Child for the School Bus

  • Children should not arrive at the bus stop too early, and should wait for the bus far from the roadway.
  • Students should know what to do if they miss the bus.
  • Children should look at the bus driver for a signal before crossing. When they cross, they must walk at least three meters away from the bus so the driver can see them.
  • When on the school bus, children should use the handrail.
  • If students must cross the road after getting off the bus, they should use 10 giant steps as a guide to take them out of the danger zone at the front of the bus.
  • Look and listen both ways to be sure it is safe before crossing.
  • If children drop anything in the danger zone, they should leave it. Never stop to pick it up.

According to the Ministry of Transportation, almost 824,000 students travel in about 16,000 school vehicles in Ontario.

 

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 Construction Safety

The City of Cornwall undertakes many significant construction projects every year.

When driving past or through construction zones, be especially cautious and attentive. Motorists should obey all road signs and slow down in these areas, whether workers and equipment are present or not.

Construction signs contain important information that warns motorists or provides them with essential information about the work ahead, traffic conditions, road/ramp closures and detours. Even if there seems to be no activity in a construction zone, there may be other less obvious hazards such as loose gravel chips and uneven pavement that can be dangerous and cause damage to vehicles traveling at high speeds.

You can help keep construction zones safe...

  • Slow down. Obey the reduced speed limits posted in construction areas.
  • Focus on the task of driving, not distracted driving such as sending a text or email, checking social media, talking on the phone, eating or anything else that keeps you from focussing on the road.
  • Follow directions given by traffic control persons; Drivers who ignore the stop/slow signs of construction zone traffic controllers could face fines of up to $500 and three demerit points.
  • Plan ahead to avoid delays, give yourself extra time for your commute. Knowing where work zones are and checking traffic before you leave can help you avoid an unexpected delay.
  • When traffic merges due to a lane closure, ease into the lane early and leave gaps for other vehicles. The more cooperative drivers are the more traffic moves along smoothly.
  • Leave adequate braking room between your vehicle and the one ahead of you. Also, keep a safe distance between your vehicle and traffic barriers, trucks, construction equipment and workers.
  • Leave Yourself an Out! When stopped in traffic, leave a safety zone between you and the vehicle in front of you. A good rule of thumb is that when stopped in traffic you should be able to see the bottom of the tires of the vehicle in front of you.
  • Adapt to construction zones like you would for weather conditions such as rain or snow. The risks can sometimes be quite similar: reduced visibility, uncertain road surfaces, sudden stops, etc.
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 Snow Safety

City of Cornwall staff and contractors remove snow from roads and sidewalks. The greatest dangers they face are drivers driving too closely and drivers trying to pass.

Snow Plow Safety Tips:

  • Keep a safe distance back from maintenance equipment when you see blue flashing lights. To do the job right, snowplows and salt trucks must travel slower than regular traffic.
  • Sight lines and visibility near a working snowplow are significantly reduced by blowing snow. At no time should a vehicle pass a snow plow on the right-hand side. This could result in a severe or even fatal collision.
  • When encountering a plow coming from the opposite direction, move as far away from the centreline of the pavement as you safely can.
  • Snowplow operators are extremely safety-conscious with motorists and pedestrian safety their top priority.
  • Remember that a snowplow operator’s field of vision is restricted. You may see them, but they may not see you.
  • Don't be a phantom driver (one who drives at dusk or at night with dashboard lights and daytime running lights on, but taillights off). Ensure your headlights are on at dusk, dawn, or during inclement weather.

Passing a snow plow is dangerous because...

  • the large blades on snow plows extend a metre or more ahead and to the right of the snow plow, often extending into the right-hand lane,
  • snow plows are wider at the front than they appear to be from the rear,
  • even at reduced plowing speeds, light powdery snow forms a cloud that severely restricts visibility, and
  • the road surface is always better behind the plow than in front of it.
Other Resources:
  • City of Cornwall snow plows clear roads and sidewalks by following these guidelines.
  • Residents can call Municipal Works 24/7 with snow clearing questions: 613-932-5354.
  • Parking restrictions are in place throughout the winter to allow for the efficient clearing of snow.
  • Enjoy winter in our community with these outdoor facilities!
 Tick Safety 

Enjoy the outdoors, without a tick!

The Government of Canada has shared essential information about the prevention of lyme disease. Click here to learn more.

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit offers free removal tick cards. Click here to learn more.

 

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