Now is the time to revisit school zone safety
California Law enforcement officials are reminding drivers to use caution in school zones. Interestingly, they say it is often parents who drive too fast or are distracted after picking up or dropping off their children.
In fact, an officer with the California Highway Patrol said parents cause most of the safety problems in school zones. He said in addition to speeding and distracted driving, there are also problems with parents double parking and telling their kids to jaywalk.
Another officer said that there is a close call just about every morning he works patrolling school zones, often due to drivers who are not paying attention to their surroundings. All it takes is a split second for a serious or fatal accident to occur.
In October, two teenage students in east Bakersfield were seriously injured when they were stuck by a vehicle in a marked crosswalk. The driver of the vehicle admitted that she was going too fast at the time and was distracted looking for something in the center console.
Parents often become accustomed to the hustle and bustle of school drop-offs and pick-ups and mistakenly think that nothing bad can happen after their own children are loaded or unloaded safely.
However, by driving too fast or not paying attention, they put other peoples’ children at risk. Additionally, they put too much trust in other drivers, believing that they will see and stop for their children.
With the school year more than half-way over, it’s a good time for a reminder on safe driving in school zones. Read our past post on school zone safety tips for more information that could help keep you from getting a ticket or causing a serious accident.
Source: Bakersfield Now, “Enforcing school zone driving laws: ‘Life is fragile’,” Adam Herbets, Feb. 16, 2015