Sacramento, California – The morning rush around Sacramento schools is about to get busier again, and police are asking drivers to trade a few seconds of speed for a safer trip through neighborhoods filled with students.
As summer winds down and classrooms begin filling back up, the Sacramento Police Department is urging motorists to slow down, obey posted limits and pay especially close attention in school zones throughout the back-to-school month.
The department recently joined the California Office of Traffic Safety, CHP Valley Division, Slow Down Sacramento and the City of Sacramento for the “Driving ABCs: Alert for Bicyclists and Children Crossing” campaign. The effort also highlighted traffic safety improvements made through Sacramento’s Vision Zero Action Plan.
Police say some of the most important precautions are also the simplest.
Drivers should follow speed limits and pay attention to individual school procedures for dropping off and picking up students. Motorists waiting to make right turns should also avoid blocking crosswalks whenever possible, leaving those spaces open for children, families and other pedestrians.
School buses require particular attention.
Under California Vehicle Code 22454, when a school bus displays flashing red lights and extends its stop sign, drivers traveling in both directions are required to come to a complete stop. They must remain stopped until the red lights stop flashing and the stop arm is withdrawn.
Police are also reminding drivers to watch carefully for children who may suddenly approach a bus or enter the roadway after getting off.
Safety does not end with motorists. Parents whose children walk or bike to school are encouraged to teach basic street-safety habits before the school year gets underway. Those include looking both ways before crossing, using sidewalks when they are available and permitted, and crossing at marked crosswalks controlled by stop signs or traffic signals.
The department’s back-to-school message centers on awareness as regular school traffic returns: slow down, expect children near roadways and give yourself time to react.
With more students walking, biking, riding buses and being dropped off each morning, Sacramento police are asking drivers to make caution part of the daily routine rather than waiting for a close call.
Additional traffic safety information is available at GoSafelyCA.org.