Thinking Two Steps Ahead – Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Tips

 

At Hacienda La Puente Unified School District, the safety of our students, employees, and District community remains our top priority.  

The Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), the State Transportation Agency, Caltrans, California Highway Patrol (CHP), and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) have reported that more people are walking to get to work, school, and for exercise. While we are promoting walking as a healthy and positive alternative to driving, agencies have reported that walking is becoming increasingly dangerous.

OTS has emphasized traffic safety is a shared responsibility. Both drivers and pedestrians play a crucial role in demonstrating safe road behaviors, fostering a sense of community and mutual respect, and ensuring the safety of everyone, especially in school zones.

Below are safety tips shared by OTS in partnership with the State Transportation Agency, Caltrans, CHP, and the DMV.

Safety Tips for Pedestrians:

• Make yourself visible: wear bright-colored clothes and carry a flashlight while walking at night.
• Avoid dangerous behaviors: always walk on the sidewalk and make eye contact with drivers –  don’t assume the driver can see you.
• Stay off your phone: talking, and especially texting, distracts you from paying attention to your surroundings.
• Headphone volume: remove headphones or mute the volume before crossing the street.
• Look before you step: cross streets at marked crosswalks/intersections, obey traffic signals, and watch for vehicles turning. Look left-right-left before crossing a street.
• Always exit a car at the curbside only.

Please visit the Safe Kids Worldwide webpage for additional tips on teaching children how to walk safely and avoid distractions at an early age.

Safety Tips for Drivers:

• Do not speed, follow the speed limit, and never use your phone. Always be cautious of your surroundings.
• Never drive under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
• Look out for pedestrians, especially in hard-to-see conditions such as at night or in bad weather.
• Pedestrians have the right of way at any crosswalk or intersection, so yield and be prepared to stop.
• Stop when a crossing guard is in a crosswalk with a stop sign.
• Stop at the crosswalk stop line to allow drivers in other lanes to see and yield to pedestrians, too.
• Slow down! Children can be unpredictable and could run out into your driving path. Be cautious when backing up – pedestrians, especially young children, can move across your path.

Related Resources:

• For additional safety tips, research, and statistics on pedestrians: visit NHTSA
• To learn about the dangers of being a pedestrian and who is at risk, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Learn how to get your child to school safely at Safe Routes
• Share the Road: Safety Tips for Pedestrians, Bicyclists and Drivers from the California Highway Patrol

 

For additional pedestrian and traffic safety concerns at your child’s school site, please contact the campus directly or contact the District’s Police and Safety Communications Center at 626-933-3899.