Police Chief’s Update - Watch for school activities By Pete Wingert Today, that lazy summer schedule of children getting out of bed “whenever” reverts to the morning chaos of school schedules. Henceforth, kids will erupt from houses, backpacks slung over one shoulder, faces freshly scrubbed, minds focused more on making new first impressions than on getting to school safely. As a result, driving habits must also be altered. School crossing signs have reappeared, indicating the speed limit in those areas is reduced to 15 mph. I would further urge drivers to reduce speeds near the schools on Adams Street, Coconino Street, Madison Street, Tegner Street, Valentine Street, Vulture Peak Road, and Yavapai Street. Kids are known to regularly peek out, even dart out, between parked cars on those streets in their eagerness to get to school or to meet friends on the opposite side. Reducing speed in those areas could be enough to avoid hitting a child who might decide to test his or her sprinting ability. Bicycles will also be common in areas near schools, and children on bicycles often make sudden erratic changes in direction. Reduce vehicle speed to allow for any such unanticipated behaviors. School buses are back. I remind drivers of the statutes regarding school buses. When approaching a school bus that is picking up or dropping off passengers, drivers must completely stop their vehicles before reaching the bus, regardless of the direction of travel. A school bus will have alternating flashing red lights and a stop sign extended while passengers are entering or leaving the bus. Drivers must remain stopped until the stop sign is retracted and the flashing red lights are extinguished. Watch for children who might be crossing the road either in front of or behind the bus. Drivers traveling in either direction are required to stop for a school bus. However, a driver on the opposite side of a road divided by a physical barrier, such as a planting or fencing, is not required to stop. Roadway striping alone is not considered a physical separation of the road, and drivers are required to stop. Children congregated at bus stops can at times become overly excited or even unruly, and as a result might sometimes spill into the street. Again, reduce vehicle speed whenever a group of children is on the sidewalk or along the side of a street. Children in groups have a tendency to pay more attention to the group, often to the exclusion of any possible danger to themselves. With the increased number of children who will be on the streets in the coming months now, I would urge a few extra precautions as well. Leave a few minutes earlier and take a couple extra minutes to get to your destination. When backing out of a driveway, or when pulling away from the curb, or when making a right turn, please be extra mindful of children on bicycles. It should go without saying, but please do not text while driving. While most of this article is directed to drivers, I would like to request that parents take a few minutes and discuss these points from their child’s perspective. Safety during this school year will be dependent not only on drivers being aware of school children, but also on children being aware of drivers. Responsibility rests on both parties. Let’s all do our part to make this a safe school year.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Aug 2013 02:43:23 +0000
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