FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2002
CONTACT: SID GAULDEN, 803-896-8755

COLUMBIA - The South Carolina Department of Public Safety today announced that September 9-13 has been designated as South Carolina School Zone Safety Week in accordance with proviso 36.17 of the South Carolina Appropriations Act.

The DPS Office of Highway Safety will work with local law enforcement agencies, school officials and highway safety advocates to increase public awareness of school zone safety throughout the week. The focus for this public education effort is on promoting safe driving behavior and on pedestrian, bicycle and school bus safety.

“Until they are at least 10 or 11 years old, children don’t have the skills to make good judgments when interacting with traffic,” said DPS Office of Highway Safety Director Max Young. “Because of their height, it is difficult for children to see motorists or for motorists to see them - a potentially deadly mix for these young pedestrians.”

Because children’s peripheral vision is about one-third narrower than an adult’s, children can’t see a motorist approaching from the right or left as soon as an adult can. Children also have difficulty judging a car’s speed and distance, and they often think that if they can see the driver, the driver can see them.

Young pedestrians are quick and often unaware of danger. Each year, many children are injured or killed when they suddenly dart into the path of a car.

In addition to the Office of Highway Safety’s public education efforts, the Highway Patrol and local law enforcement are stepping up their school zone enforcement efforts. The Highway Patrol also launched a school bus safety effort in August to beef up enforcement on school bus routes.

Parents also must be involved in improving school zone safety. Parents are reminded of the importance of driving responsibly and defensively in school zones and are encouraged to take the time to talk with their young children about safety.

SI/112/02

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