School Zone Safety

This article was all written when news came in about a terrible accident.

A 12-year-old girl was run over by her mother at a middle school in Sarasota, Florida. The girl got out of the car in the drop-off lane and dropped school supplies on the ground. Her mother did not see her crawl under the vehicle to get her supplies, and she pulled forward, running over her daughter. The young girl was airlifted to a children’s hospital with very serious injuries. I’d like everyone to keep this child and mother in their prayers. The first day of school should have been a wonderful time for all at this middle school, but it was a horrible tragedy.

Churchill County has approximately 3361 students and 170 teachers who go to school each day and don’t forget family dropping students off. Please keep these tips in mind to help our students stay safe. 

• Slow down and obey speed limits. A pedestrian hit by a car going 15 miles per hour has an approximately 90% survival rate. At 30 miles per hour, the survival drops to 50%.
• Do not park in bus loading zones, near intersections, driveways, or crosswalks.
• Always drop your child off at the curb on the school side of the street. Before moving the vehicle, be sure your child has cleared it by at least 10 feet.
• Yield to people in crosswalks. It is the law!
• Don’t put students at risk! No texting while driving, making U-turns, or passing other vehicles in the school zone.
• Help reduce traffic and harmful pollution in school zones. An idling vehicle produces over 60% more emissions than a vehicle driving at 20 miles per hour.

School bus safety means that when the red lights are flashing, or the stop sign is out, all vehicles on the same road, in both lanes, must stop. Drivers must wait until the school bus begins moving. It is state law! Fines can be heavy. The area ten feet around a school bus is most dangerous for children. Stop far enough back to allow them space to enter and exit the bus safely.