FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 21, 2019
BACK TO SCHOOL SAFETY TIPS
FREDERICK, MD – As summer is coming to a close and another new school year is just about to begin, the Frederick Police Department would like to remind drivers, parents, and students of some important safety tips.
Students
- When walking to school, use bike paths and sidewalks where available.
- If riding a bicycle to school and there are no bike paths, ride with traffic; if riding in the dark your bike must have a light on it.
- Always wear a helmet when riding a bicycle.
- Wear light-colored clothing and avoid using headphones or other electronic devices that will distract you from traffic.
- Students that ride the bus should arrive at the bus stop early, stay away from traffic and never walk behind the bus.
- Make sure the bus comes to a complete stop before trying to enter or exit the bus.
- Never rely solely on flashing bus lights to stop traffic. If you have to cross the street, observe traffic and watch for the signal from your bus driver that it is safe to cross.
- If you have to cross the road to get to school, use the crosswalk and make sure that all traffic has stopped prior to entering the crosswalk.
Parents
- If you are driving your child to school, please take a moment to review the drop-off procedure for your child’s school.
- Don’t double park – it blocks visibility for other children and vehicles.
- Don’t load or unload children across the street from the school.
- Carpool if possible, it reduces the number of vehicles at the school.
- Don’t park or stand in the travel portion of the roadway while dropping off or picking up your student(s).
Motorists
- Avoid having to rush and leave earlier to give yourself ample time to get to your destination.
- Be aware of traffic around schools, especially when driving during the hours prior to school starting and at dismissal time.
- As a driver, it is your responsibility to know where school zones are and adhere to the posted speed limit. When the lights are flashing in a school zone, the speed limit of 20 mph. Exceeding the speed limit in a posted school zone carries the following fines (note: fines are doubled if the warning lights are flashing)
- 1-9 mph over $120 / 1 point
- 10-19 mph over $140 / 2 points
- 20-29 mph over $270 / 2 points
- 30-39 mph over $540 / 5 points
- 40+ mph over $1000 / 5 points
- All drivers must stop when approaching a school bus that has activated its flashing red lights. The fine for illegally passing a school bus is $570, with 3 points.
- Please follow the direction of our school crossing guards. Failure to obey the lawful direction of a crossing guard could result in a fine of $290, with 1 point.
- A child’s behavior can be unpredictable. Wait for school bus lights to stop flashing before beginning to move again.
- No texting and driving
Crossing Guard Locations
In an effort to maintain the safety of children who walk to school and to help manage school-related traffic, the department utilizes crossing guards that cover eight locations. Their primary responsibility is to facilitate the safe crossing of students to and from school each day in all weather conditions. The crossing guard locations for the 2019-2020 school year are:
- Hillcrest Elementary at Hillcrest Drive and Riggs Court
- Lincoln Elementary at Madison Street at the entrance to the school
- North Frederick Elementary at Motter Avenue and 9th Street
- North Frederick Elementary at Motter Avenue and 12th Street – new
- Waverley Elementary at Waverley Drive and Key Parkway
- Whittier Elementary at Wetherburne Way near the entrance
- TJ Middle School at N. Market Street and N. East Street
- TJ High School at E. 15th Street and N. Market Street
To help reduce speeding in school zones, six speed-camera devices are rotated between thirteen school sites, operating between 6 am to 8 pm.
Paying attention to these safety tips and obeying all state regulations will go a long way toward ensuring the safety of our children and others in and around the school environment.
