Authorities asking you to be safe on the road as school starts up again
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The following is a news release from Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.
IDAHO FALLS – The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind everyone that most public and charter schools are now in session, which brings active school zones and bus stops back to our communities.
As much as we continually remind motorists to wear their seatbelts and pay full attention to their driving, we absolutely can’t stress enough the importance of obeying traffic laws in our schools zones and watching for buses loading and unloading. When you see a school or school bus, always expect the accompanying school zone, students, and the possibility that a bus is about to stop and load or unload students.
Surrounding these schools and school zone areas are many neighborhoods where students walk or bike to school and cross at crosswalks. Whether or not a crossing guard is active at a cross walk, motorists should always remember to slow down and stop for pedestrians in an occupied cross walk. Parents should take the time to remind their kids of the proper use of sidewalks, roadsides, and cross walks whether walking or biking, and to always watch for traffic. Pedestrians and bicyclists should never assume vehicles can see them on the roadside, intersections, or crosswalks.
Please take note of these schools zone areas and cross walks that have a variety of signs, road markings, and flashing signals, indicating active school zone times and speeds, as well as direction to a slow, safe, and easy flow for everyone.
For everyone’s safety, it’s vital to obey these traffic control devices and be patient while you travel to your destination. When motorists get in too big of a hurry and bypass lane markings, roll through stop signs, and drive over the speed limit, it greatly increases the chances of a collision. Remember that it makes better sense to be late to your destination than to put yourself and our students in danger by not obeying traffic laws. When in doubt, assume that school zone times are in effect and drive slow. Every time you see a school bus, assume that students or kids are waiting nearby on the roadside or getting ready to stop and get off that bus.
Our Deputies thank drivers who take heed to these reminders and obey the traffic laws throughout Bonneville County. We believe it makes a difference in everyone’s safety and quality of life, especially where our students and schools are most active. Please do your part to continue good driving practices, pay attention, and use your seatbelts to keep everyone around you as safe as possible.