School’s Back, Drive Safely, Officials Caution

The new school year began yesterday for Castro Valley and in Hayward, San Leandro, and San Lorenzo next week. So, law enforcement and local businesses are joining school officials in urging everyone to exercise extreme care when driving, especially around schools. 

“When school opens everything changes,” says Gary Howard, Castro Valley school board member and board member of the Chamber. “New schedules and traffic patterns, young students are excited to see classmates, and parents are trying to get to work. We need to be extra careful.”

The Chamber and Rotary Club offer this advice: Slow down, eliminate distractions, and watch carefully for students walking and riding bikes. Children on bicycles can be unpredictable. Everyone is trying to learn a new routine. Remember to stop for school buses with their red lights flashing. The areas near schools are particularly busy.

Law enforcement could not agree more, says Alameda County Sheriff Lieutenant Ray Kelly. The first few weeks of school drop-offs are the most hectic, especially with new parents and students arriving on campus.

“If you’re not familiar with your school drop-off zones take a trip by the campus before school starts,” Lt. Kelly told the Forum. “We will have deputies around the campuses to support traffic safety. Be mindful that it may be hard to see a smaller student walking to school. We would also remind parents to preach the fundaments of pedestrian safety to their children. Let's have a great and safe kickoff to the new school year.”

 It’s not just distracted drivers. Officials say they are also watching out for those pedestrians who are not attentive to their walking or obeying traffic laws.

“It takes 100 percent of your focus and attention to operate a motor vehicle safely,” CHP Officer Daniel Jacowitz told the Forum. “Likewise, when riding a bicycle or walking to school, you share that same responsibility by having situational awareness at all times."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), A 2016 study showed the following: of 39,000 students observed by NHTSA in school zones, 1 in 4 high school students and 1 in 6 middle school students were observed to be distracted walkers. The study found that 44 percent were wearing headphones, 31 percent were texting, 18 percent were talking on the phone, and 7 percent were performing a combination of the three. Unsafe street crossing (crossing at a point other than a designated crosswalk, not observing oncoming traffic, etc.) was observed in nearly 80 percent of students.

When traveling in a school zone, Motorists must expect the unexpected, Officer Jacowitz added. Children can be unpredictable and may enter your path of travel suddenly.

“If you pass a school bus while its stop sign is displayed and red and yellow lights are flashing, you risk injuring a child or facing hundreds of dollars in fines,” Jacowitz said. “By always paying attention and driving for the conditions of traffic, you increase your chances of reacting appropriately to the situation and stopping safely.”

The CHP says it also employs senior volunteers who conduct high visibility patrols (only) and work with local crossing guards, to bring awareness to drivers traveling in school zones.