Back to School Traffic Safety: Keeping Our Children Safe on the Roads
As students across Statesville head back to school, the Statesville Police Department is reminding drivers, parents, and pedestrians to stay alert and prioritize safety. With the return of school buses, crossing guards, student drivers, and more foot traffic, everyone plays a role in keeping our children safe.
School Zones Are Active Again
When school is in session, so are school zone speed limits. These reduced-speed areas are designed to protect children during morning drop-off and afternoon pickup. Officers will be increasing patrols in these zones to ensure drivers are following the rules.
Driver Reminders:
- Slow down and obey posted speed limit
- Watch for crossing guards and follow their signals
- Do not pass vehicles stopped for pedestrians
- Avoid distractions like texting or adjusting your GPS
School Bus Safety
North Carolina law requires drivers to stop when a school bus displays its stop arm and flashing red lights. Violating this law can result in serious penalties and endangers children.
You must stop:
- On a road with four or more lanes and a center turn lane, only traffic behind the bus stops
- On a divided highway with a median, only traffic behind the bus stops
- On a four-lane road without a median, all traffic stops
- On a two-lane road with a center turn lane, all traffic stops
- On a two-lane road, all traffic stops
Tips for Parents and Students
Whether your child walks, bikes, or rides the bus, a quick safety talk at the start of the year goes a long way. Remind kids to:
- Use sidewalks and crosswalks
- Look both ways before crossing
- Avoid using phones or headphones while walking
- Wait for the bus to stop and the driver’s signal before crossing
Let’s All Do Our Part
Back to school season brings more traffic and activity. Please stay patient, alert, and cautious. A few extra minutes of awareness can prevent tragedy.
To learn more about the Statesville Police Department, visit police.statesvillenc.net.
