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Safe driving urged as school begins
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More from Education: K-12With a new school year here, police are reminding motorists to be extra careful when driving near schools.
"We're very concerned about the safety of students and of parents getting their children to and from school," said Lt. Joe May, a member of the Simi Valley police traffic division.
May recalled how two Simi Valley police officers were hit while sitting on their motorcycles in late 2003 by a motorist blinded by the early-morning sun. One of the officers was badly injured. It took about a year for him to recover, May said. "This type of accident could very easily happen to a kid on a bicycle in a school zone," May said.
When near a school, motorists should drive no faster than 25 mph when children are present, avoid U-turns, and yield to pedestrians, authorities said. They also should make sure everyone in the vehicle is wearing a seat belt, and they should park in designated areas only.
Drivers must stop when a school bus is flashing its red lights. A violator faces a $250 fine for a first offense and up to $1,000 for a second.
Parents should make sure their children use crosswalks and obey crossing guards.
"Our primary concern is the safety of children coming to and from school," said Shawna Davison, a California Highway Patrol officer in Ventura.
As with the CHP and other police agencies, the Ventura County Sheriff's Department increases patrols around campuses during the school year, sheriff's Sgt. Jim Kenney said. The officers patrol not only elementary and middle schools but also high schools, Kenney said.
"The high schools are more of a challenge because of all the young drivers there," he said.
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