Back to School Traffic Safety

“Our young people will soon be starting school. More children than ever will be walking to and from school this year due to the end of courtesy busing,” said Sheriff Al Nienhuis. “This will require every driver to be even more careful as we drive the hours before or after school. Keeping our youngest and most vulnerable citizens safe as they make their way to and from school is everyone’s responsibility. My deputies will be out in force during the first week of school to ensure that everyone gets safely into the routine of another school year.”

The first week of school consistently produces increased pedestrian traffic, as well as vehicular traffic, on the Hernando County roadways. Drivers should be mindful of the following:

– Many students will be walking and/or riding bicycles to school along the sidewalks and county roadways
– Parents should ensure that children who ride bicycles wear properly fitting helmets
– Expect heavy traffic back-ups in school zones
– Parents should have children ride school buses when bus routes are available – alleviating unnecessary traffic in school zones
– Motorists should avoid school zones if at all possible
– Be patient and drive carefully
– The first few weeks of school are always extra busy so leave plenty of time to travel
– When a school bus stops and the red lights are flashing – traffic approaching from either direction is required to stop
– Reduce or eliminate any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings
– Put down the phone
– Do not text and drive
– If you have any type of emergency or get into an accident, call 9-1-1 immediately
o tell the operator the location of the emergency
o answer all of the questions appropriately
o emergency vehicles are dispatched immediately – answering the dispatcher’s questions does not delay the response.