‘ ... Slow down and pay attention ...’
Yuma County Sheriff Wilmot reminds motorists to drive safely around schools
Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot released a statement on Wednesday reminding drivers that children are back in school now, and also urged them to safely share the roads with school buses, pedestrians and bicyclists.
“By exercising a little extra care and caution, drivers and pedestrians can co-exist safely in school zones,” Wilmot wrote. “It’s never more important for drivers to slow down and pay attention than when kids are present – especially before and after school.”
Back to school brings congestion, according to Wilmot, from school buses picking up and dropping off students, children on bikes hurrying to get to school before the bell rings, to harried parents trying to drop their kids off before work.
Also, if you are 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. Sheriff Wilmot stressed that it is illegal in all 50 states to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children.
Other back-to-school tips for motorists include:
• 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.
Wilmot also wanted to remind motorists that the Sheriff’s Office will be targeting school zones and bus stops throughout the school year, and enforcing state laws with a ‘zero tolerance’ policy.