Sept. 2003

Phoenix City Council District 2 Councilwoman Peggy Neely

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Councilwoman
Peggy Neely's
Tatum Sun Times Column

September 2003

With the new school year already here, it is important that parents spend some time thinking about back-to-school safety issues. Pedestrian injuries are a leading cause of unintentional death among children aged 5 to 14, and the back-to-school season provides a great opportunity to teach kids common sense safety behavior and remind all adults to drive cautiously near schools.

Because of minimal supervision, young pedestrians face a wide variety of decision-making situations and dangers while walking to and from school.

Here are a few basic safety tips to follow if your children walk to school:

Choose the safest route and walk it with your children. Look for the most direct route with the fewest street crossings. Children under age 10 should walk with an adult or older child every day because they do not have the necessary skills to judge the speed or distance of oncoming traffic.

Teach children to obey all traffic signals and markings. Children should be taught the meaning of all traffic markers (for example, a flashing "walk" sign is not an automatic "go" signal).

Make sure children look to the left, to the right and to the left again for moving vehicles before crossing the street.

Teach children not to enter the street from between parked cars or from behind bushes or shrubs. Darting into the street accounts for 50 to 70 percent of pedestrian injuries among children aged 9 and under.

Be a good role model. Children imitate their parents and model their behavior. Your children need you to not only tell but also show them how to be safe pedestrians. If your children ride the bus, be sure to teach your children these safety tips:

Stay away from the bus until it comes to a complete stop and the driver signals you to enter.

When being dropped off, exit the bus and walk ten giant steps away from the bus. Keep a safe distance between you and the bus. Also, remember that the bus driver can see you best when you are back away from the bus.

Stay away from the bus until the driver gives his/her signal that it's okay to approach.

Be aware of the street traffic around you. Drivers are required to follow certain rules of the road concerning school buses, however, not all do. Protect yourself and watch out!

Please pay special attention as you drive around schools. It only takes a moment for a tragedy to occur. Phoenix has a zero tolerance policy for speeding in school zones. If you see speeding around a school, report it by calling 602-534-SPEED.

Phoenix has a great program called the "Safest Route to School" that works with school officials and parents to develop a walk to school plan for elementary and middle school students. The purpose of the program is to prepare a student walking route based on input from parents, teachers, principals and city staff. The recommended walking plan is also used to identify any dangers along the routes, and is used to evaluate the need for school traffic control and the placement of adult crossing guards and sidewalk monitors. If you are interested in the Safest Route to School program, call 602-534-2020.

If you have questions or comments you would like to discuss with me, don't hesitate to call my office or send an e-mail. You are also invited to join me at my monthly Issues & Info breakfasts and learn about topics that impact your neighborhood and family. You are always invited to take the opportunity to ask questions about issues that are important to you. The next one is 7 a.m. Friday, Sept. 19 at Jillian's at Desert Ridge. Come and meet Asst. Fire Chief Bob Khan and learn how to keep you, your family and your neighborhood safe. Also learn about the new RAPID bus service with Public Transit Director Ed Zuercher. I hope to see you there.

Phoenix City Councilwoman Peggy Neely represents District 2, which encompasses most of northeast Phoenix. She can be reached at (602) 262-7445 or via e-mail at council.district.2@phoenix.gov.

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