In October 2024, a vehicle crashed into an elementary school in Brampton, Ontario, during morning drop-off. Children were entering the building. In 2023, a car struck the wall of a school gymnasium in Calgary while students were inside. In 2025, a pickup truck jumped a curb and hit the fence of a school playground in Edmonton.
None of these schools had bollards.
Every one of these incidents followed the same pattern: a vehicle traveled across a parking lot, drop-off lane, or adjacent road and struck a school building or playground perimeter with enough force to cause damage and endanger children. And every one could have been prevented by standard security bollards.
The School Zone Vulnerability
Schools share the same fundamental vulnerability as daycares, medical clinics, and retail stores: occupied ground-floor spaces adjacent to vehicle traffic with no physical barriers. But schools add several risk factors that make the hazard even more acute:
Key Facts
Concentrated pedestrian traffic — hundreds of children arrive and depart within narrow time windows (drop-off and pick-up)
High vehicle density — parent drop-off zones create congested, chaotic traffic patterns directly adjacent to building entrances
Distracted drivers — parents managing children in the back seat while navigating crowded lots
Young pedestrians — children are small, unpredictable, and less aware of vehicle traffic
Adjacent playgrounds — outdoor play areas often sit directly beside parking lots or roads with minimal separation
By the Numbers
Multiple schools — in Canada struck by vehicles in 2023–2025
Drop-off zones — are the highest-risk area — peak vehicle and pedestrian density simultaneously
Ontario funded bollards for daycares — but schools have no equivalent program
No Canadian province — mandates bollards at school buildings
Standard bollards — cost 400–1,250+ each — a fraction of a school’s annual maintenance budget
The Daycare Precedent
After 18-month-old Liam Riazati was killed at a Richmond Hill daycare, Ontario created a 20 million dollar fund to install barriers at childcare centres. The program explicitly recognized that ground-floor facilities adjacent to parking lots need physical vehicle barriers.
Schools share the exact same risk profile as daycares — often in the same types of buildings — but are not covered by the program. School boards were directed to conduct their own safety assessments, but no dedicated funding was provided.
This creates a gap: the government recognized that children in daycares need vehicle barriers, but children in schools — who face the same hazard — are left unprotected.
Pro Tip
School administrators and parent councils don’t need to wait for government funding. A bollard installation along a school’s most vulnerable building face typically costs 6,000–15,000 — less than many schools spend on a single playground upgrade. It’s a capital improvement that protects children every day the building is occupied.
— Titan Barriers Team
Where Schools Need Bollards
A comprehensive school protection plan addresses four areas:
1. Drop-Off / Pick-Up Zones
The most dangerous area at any school. During peak times, dozens of vehicles queue within metres of building entrances while hundreds of children walk between cars. Bollards along the building face and at the ends of the drop-off lane create a physical separation between moving vehicles and the building entrance.
2. Building Faces Adjacent to Parking Lots
Many schools have gymnasiums, cafeterias, or classrooms at ground level directly facing staff or visitor parking lots. The same strip mall vulnerability applies here — a vehicle can travel across the lot and strike the building.
3. Playground Perimeters
Playgrounds adjacent to roads or parking lots need physical barriers — not just fences. A chain-link fence will not stop a vehicle. Bollards or concrete barriers along the vehicle-accessible side of the playground provide actual protection.
4. Portable Classroom Areas
Portable classrooms (modular units) are often placed at the edges of school properties adjacent to parking lots or roads. They have zero structural resistance to vehicle impact — a car would go straight through the wall. Bollards are essential.
The Cost of Protection
| School Area | Recommended Bollards | Approximate Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Main entrance / drop-off | 8–12 bollards | 4,000–15,000 |
| Gym / cafeteria building face | 6–8 bollards | 3,000–9,000 |
| Playground perimeter (road side) | 10–20 bollards | 5,000–20,000 |
| Portable classroom protection | 4–6 per unit | 2,000–7,000 |
For most schools, protecting the highest-priority areas — main entrance and drop-off zone — costs less than 15,000. A comprehensive installation covering all vulnerable areas typically runs 15,000–40,000.
What School Administrators Should Do
- 1Walk the property with a safety lens — identify every building face and playground area exposed to vehicle approach paths
- 2Prioritize the drop-off zone — this is where vehicle and pedestrian density peak simultaneously
- 3Request a professional site assessment — a security professional identifies every vulnerability and provides specific recommendations
- 4Present the business case to the school board — the cost of bollard installation is a fraction of the liability exposure from a single vehicle-into-school incident
- 5Install bollards — standard security bollards provide effective protection for school applications
Titan Barriers provides bollard installation and site security assessments for schools, community centres, and public facilities across Edmonton and Calgary. If your school lacks vehicle barriers, contact us for a free consultation.
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Sources
Ontario Newsroom — December 8, 2025
Storefront Safety Council
