| Safety Around School Sites To quote from the title of a brochure by the American Automobile Association, "Parents Can Be Serious Traffic Hazards!"
Each school year parents driving their children to and from school cause serious traffic issues at school sites. These problems include unsafe speed, parking in posted school bus loading areas, making turns through school patrol lines, unloading children on the wrong side of the street, and letting children out into traffic lanes.
Transportation Safety Department staff and off duty Saint Paul Police Officers working for the District respond to requests for assistance from principals in dealing with traffic issues. They also monitor traffic issues at random school sites and work with principals and school staff to correct unsafe conditions. Off duty District police and Saint Paul Police Parking Enforcement Officers enforce school bus loading zones by issuing tags to vehicles blocking school buses.
Actions parents can take 
If your child is eligible for transportation please have the child ride the school bus whenever possible. The fewer the parent cars the safer the school zone.
If you must drive your child to or from school, or visit the school during opening or dismissal times, be acutely aware of the school patrol crossings, children exiting other cars, and school buses arriving, unloading/loading, or departing the school.
Always drop your child off and pick him/her up in the passenger unloading area specified by the school office. This is normally a street adjacent to the school which is not used for school bus operations.
Drive slowly and with extra caution when around school sites. Be prepared for students and parent cars to do the unexpected!
Always obey the directions of the School Patrol. If you do not you will be tagged and may be arrested by the Saint Paul Police.
Never park in a  Snow Covered or Not, This Sign Means STOP!
Never stop in a school bus unloading/loading area during the hours in which school buses are scheduled to load or unload. You can be tagged for blocking the loading zone.
Never allow your child to exit your car into traffic.
Always stop to drop off or pick up your child on the school side of the street. Never park on the wrong side of a street and call or wave for your child to run to your car! Remember, if you encourage, or allow, your child to perform unsafe actions at school he/she may do the same dangerous action at another time when you are not present.
Never allow young children to cross any street near a school unescorted.
Never challenge a 40 foot 28,000 lb school bus for the right of way on narrow streets. The bus driver cannot back up and the police will be called to assist the driver.
|
