Driver Safety

Contacts

​Here are some helpful safety tips for drivers to ensure we are all being Safety Driven in Newmarket. Learn more about the various road signs you may encounter when travelling around Newmarket. 

Safe driving tips:

Use caution when approaching intersections, crosswalks and stopped transit buses

  • Watch for pedestrians who maybe walking against their signal, who need more time to cross, or may be running to catch a bus
  • If traffic in other lanes is stopped or slowing on a green light, proceed with caution - those drivers may see something you can't
  • Be cautious when turning into an intersection, particularly at night, or when bright light may affect your view
  • Slow down on residential streets and in school zones - remember the speed limit is a maximum, you don't have to drive to the limit
  • Watch for toys or other play equipment entering the road. Children will usually follow
  • Even with the right of way, safe drivers drive defensively.

Follow the posted speed limit:

Did you know?

  • The impact caused by a vehicle travelling at 50 km/h is the same as dropping the vehicle from a three-storey building*
  • Stats show that if you're travelling in a 60 km/h zone, every 5 km/h over the speed limit you travel, you double your risk of being in an injury causing accident*
      • That means you are 4 times more likely to be in an injury causing accident by driving 70 km/h in a 60 km/h zone*
      • This is one of the reasons the Town of Newmarket has limited many of the streets to 40 km/h. Not only will it assist in keeping the other users of the street safe, but it will also provide you with piece of mind
  • There are many factors considered when the speed limit for a street is set, including the design of the road, where the road is located, and if there are any schools nearby.
    *Government of Western Australia Office of Road Safety, 2014

Don't drive distracted

Did you know?

  • 15 fatalities in 2013 were attributed to distracted driving in Ontario alone*
  • You are 23x more likely to get into an accident while texting and driving*
  • You are 9x more likely to be involved in an accident while reaching for something while driving*

    *provided by CAA, 2014