Dewan: Safety first as students return to school

It’s never more important for motorists to slow down and pay attention than when children are present — especially before and after school.

Students throughout Santa Clara County are returning to school. That means school buses are back on the road, there are more pedestrians, students on bikes, skateboards, scooters and cars near schools for student drop-off and pick-up. All of us need to be on high alert and make safety our first commitment near all school zones.

In California, traffic accidents are the No. 1 cause of death for school-age children.

According to research by the National Safety Council, many children who lose their lives in bus-related incidents are 4 to 7 years old, and they’re walking.

Speed limits are an important tool to ensure the safety of the community. But with school zone speeds restricted to 25 mph, California has some of the fastest school zone speeds in the U.S. The Safer School Zones Act, if passed, would establish a 20 mph speed limit in school zones starting Jan. 1, 2028, and enforce the limits to include heavy pedestrian traffic times from 7-10 a.m. and from 2-5 p.m. The bill would also define a school walk zone as any roadway or sidewalk within 1,000 feet of a school’s boundary line in all directions.

Nine years ago, San Jose became the fourth U.S. city to adopt a Vision Zero initiative, with the goal to keep the community safe by reducing and one day eliminating traffic deaths and severe injuries. In order to make city streets safer for walkers, rollers and bicyclists, San Jose’s action plan involves improving roadways with new safety measures and community engagement.

Some precautions can help keep children safe, especially in school zones:

• Adhere to lower school zone speed limits and traffic signals
• Don’t block the crosswalk when stopped at a red light or waiting to make a turn, forcing pedestrians to go around you; this could put them in the path of moving traffic
• In a school zone when flashers are blinking, stop and yield to pedestrians crossing the crosswalk or intersection
• Always stop for a school patrol officer or crossing guard holding up a stop sign
• Minimize distractions and take extra care to look for children in school zones, near playgrounds and parks and in all residential areas
• Avoid honking or revving the engine to scare a pedestrian, even with the right of way
• Never pass a bus from behind — or from either direction if you’re on an undivided road — if it is stopped to load or unload children
• If the yellow or red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended, traffic must stop
• The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children; stop far enough back to allow them space to safely enter and exit the bus

On most roads, bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as vehicles, but bikes can be hard to see. The most common cause of collision is a driver turning left in front of a bicyclist.

• When passing a bicyclist, proceed in the same direction slowly, and leave 3 feet between your car and the cyclist
• When turning left and a bicyclist is approaching in the opposite direction, wait for the rider to pass
• If you’re turning right and a bicyclist is approaching from behind on the right, let the rider go through the intersection first, and always use turn signals
• Watch for bike riders turning in front of you without looking or signaling
• Watch for bikes coming from driveways or behind parked cars
• Check side mirrors before opening the door

Individuals interested in playing a crucial role in community safety can find school crossing guard job postings on job opportunity websites for each city.

Santa Clara County’s Walk and Roll – Safe Routes to School Program offers a number of resources for students and families.

By exercising a little extra care and caution, we can keep our children safe.

San José Spotlight columnist Mary Ann Dewan is the superintendent of schools for Santa Clara County. She has more than 33 years of experience in the field of education. Her columns appear every third Monday of the month.