Along with the hordes of children decked out in new clothes and carrying new backpacks, some having their hands held by parents or, in the case of Jackson High School students, a boyfriend or girlfriend, will come another familiar sight when school resumes Wednesday, Sept. 8: A police presence.
Once again, Mill Creek police will be out in force near Jackson High, Heatherwood Middle School, and Mill Creek Elementary School ensuring drivers not only obey the rules of the road, but adhere to laws meant to ensure safe passage for children to and from area schools.
“We’ll still be out there in the school zones, both in the morning and afternoon,” Mill Creek police chief Bob Crannell said. “Just the usual stuff.”
Officers will be looking to enforce various traffic laws, such as drivers who exceed the 20 mph school zone speed limit, and those who don’t stop properly at crosswalks (see separate story for a list of violations and fines).
Drivers need to realize that anyone using a crosswalk has the right of way, and drivers must completely stop to allow people in a crosswalk to cross the walk, said Michele Pellettieri, community policing officer for the Mill Creek Police Department.
Tips for drivers
According to Mill Creek police and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, drivers can help ensure children get to school safely via these safety tips:
• Allow more time to drive to school or have children leave earlier if they’re walking. Commuters should allow more time to leave their neighborhoods if they live near or pass through a school zone on their way to work.
• If possible, parents should walk to school with their children on the first day, otherwise, parents can organize a group of students to walk together with a parent.
Parents, meanwhile, can help ensure the safety of their children with the following tips from Mill Creek Police:
Children who walk
• Children should look carefully to the left, right and left again if they have to cross the street.
• Students should be taught that there are areas around the school busses where drivers can’t see them.
• Children should also be taught not to run between parked cars and buses, and not to run across streets or through parking lots trying to catch up with their friends.
School bus safety
• When children are waiting for the school bus, they should wait at the bus stop, and stand well back from the curb.
• When children exit a school bus, they should look to the rear of the bus before stepping off the bottom step. According to the Pupil Transportation Safety Institute, more and more motorists are passing stopped school buses on the right shoulder – where the door is.
• Children should make sure they have eye contact with the driver, and wait for the driver to signal before they cross in front of the bus.
• Students should also never bend down near or under the bus.
School bus behavior
• Students should understand the importance of listening to their bus driver in case there are any special instructions for the bus ride.
• Students should sit quietly in their seats, or speak quietly to other children.
• Students also should not jump up and down, fight or tease other passengers or make a lot of noise. These activities can bother a bus driver and he or she will not be able to give proper attention to driving.
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