School days bring traffic, kids on
bikes and walking, and hurried parents trying to drop of their kids before
work. The Redwood City Police Department reminds residents that schools
will be back in session starting the week of August 21st. Officers
and will be out enforcing traffic laws at our schools. It's never more important
for drivers to slow down and pay attention than when kids are present –
especially before and after school.
Here are a few recommendation
If You're Dropping Off
Schools often have very specific
drop-off procedures for the school year. Make sure you know them for the safety
of all kids. More children are hit by cars near schools than at any other
location, according to the National Safe Routes to School program.
The following apply to all school zones:
- Don't double park; it blocks visibility for other children and vehicles
- Don't load or unload children across the street from the school
- Carpool to reduce the number of vehicles at the school
Sharing the Road with Young Pedestrians
- According to research by the National Safety Council, most of the children who lose their lives in bus-related incidents are 4 to 7 years old, and they're walking. They are hit by the bus, or by a motorist illegally passing a stopped bus. A few precautions go a long way toward keeping children safe:
- Don't block the crosswalk when stopped at a red light or waiting to make a turn, forcing pedestrians to go around you; this could put them in the path of moving traffic
- In a school zone when flashers are blinking, stop and yield to pedestrians crossing the crosswalk or intersection
- Always stop for a school patrol officer or crossing guard holding up a stop sign
- Take extra care to look out for children in school zones, near playgrounds and parks, and in all residential areas
- Don't honk or rev your engine to scare a pedestrian, even if you have the right of way
- Never pass a vehicle stopped for pedestrians
- Always use extreme caution to avoid striking pedestrians wherever they may be, no matter who has the right of way
Sharing the Road with School Buses
If you're
driving behind a bus, allow a greater following distance than if you were
driving behind a car. It will give you more time to stop once the yellow lights
start flashing. It isillegal in all 50 states to pass a school bus that is
stopped to load or unload children.
- Never pass a bus from behind – or from either direction if
- you're on an undivided road – if it is stopped to load or unload children
- If the yellow or red lights are flashing and the stop arm is
- extended, traffic must stop
- The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children; stop far enough
- back to allow them space to safely enter and exit the bus
- Be alert; children often are unpredictable, and they tend to ignore hazards and take risks
Sharing the Road with Bicyclists
On most
roads, bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as
vehicles, but bikes can be hard to see. Children riding bikes
create special problems for drivers because usually they are not able to
properly determine traffic conditions. The most common cause of collision is a
driver turning left in front of a bicyclist.
- When passing a bicyclist, proceed in the same direction slowly, and leave 3 feet between your car and the cyclist
- When turning left and a bicyclist is approaching in the opposite direction, wait for the rider to pass
- If you're turning right and a bicyclists is approaching from behind on the right, let the rider go through the intersection first, and always use your turn signals
- Watch for bike riders turning in front of you without looking or signaling; children especially have a tendency to do this
- Be extra vigilant in school zones and residential neighborhoods
- Watch for bikes coming from driveways or behind parked cars
- Check side mirrors before opening your door
By exercising a little extra care and caution, drivers and pedestrians can co-exist safely in school zones. The National Safety Council has prepared a reference sheet on school zones / traffic enforcement and isavailable HERE for download.
