FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
August 20, 2008
Contact: SID
GAULDEN, 803-896-8409
** MEDIA: Please
refer to our back to school page at
www.schp.org/sbs.asp. Safety materials are housed there. There is a public
service announcement on the site for download advising parents of safety issues.
There is also a new video designed for schools to help children get back to
school safely. ** Photos attached: troopers distribute safety literature to
parents in car pool lines in 2007.
Click below to view photos:
Troopers distribute safety literature 1
Troopers distribute safety literature 2
BACK TO SCHOOL SAFETY:
SCDPS REMINDS MOTORISTS TO BE AWARE OF CHILDREN AROUND ROADWAYS, SCHOOLS
“As children
return to school this week, we are asking parents and school officials to join
us by putting safety at the top of the curriculum,” said SCDPS Director Mark
Keel. “Whether children are riding a bus, walking or being dropped off at
school, they need to understand basic safety rules of interacting with traffic.
Also, we need the public to help us by being on alert for children getting on
and off buses and around schools.”
SCDPS is trying
to make these safety lessons easier for schools and parents during this hectic
time. The department has brought together safety information in one location on
its web site. The site includes a public service announcement for the media to
download and run. It also includes a fun, two-minute segment that elementary
schools can download and play on their in-house television programs or during
media time.
The department
plans to use a multi-layered approach to get children back to school safely over
the course of about six weeks. The program starts with an enforcement push in
the school zones and school bus routes along with educating the public
especially about when to stop for a school bus. Other activities include:
n
School pick-up lines: Troopers
and Families of Highway Fatalities volunteers will distribute safety information
to parents and guardians at select schools as they are waiting in line to pick
up their children in the afternoons (see attached schedule; CROs will arrive
around 2:15 p.m.).
n
The Highway Patrol will work in
conjunction with local law enforcement agencies to increase the law enforcement
presence using unmarked and marked vehicles and motor units to monitor
aggressive driving, speeding and will be on the lookout for motorists passing
stopped school buses.
n
PTA meetings: Troopers will
attend PTA/PTO meetings to talk to parents about bicycle and pedestrian safety
concerns and educate about booster seat use.
n
The DPS Office of Highway Safety
is coordinating efforts to involve local agencies in enforcement in school
zones.
n
School presentations: Troopers
will be visiting Driver’s Education classes, elementary and middle schools to
conduct formal safety presentations.
The majority of
collisions around schools last year occurred during the 7 a.m.-8 a.m. (159) and
3 p.m.-4 p.m. time frames (176).
The SCDPS
Office of Highway Safety shows that from 2003-2007, there were 10 people killed
between the hours of 6 a.m.- 9 a.m. or 3 p.m.- 6 p.m. in a school zone or
involving a school bus. Only one of those fatalities, however, involved a
school-age child. The majority of those killed were over 25 years old. Of the
323 injured during those times, 135 were between the ages of 6-18 years old.
Schools
interested in any of the programs listed here may contact the Highway Patrol
Community Relations Office for more information at 803-896-7920.
