NUSD to launch start-of-school traffic safety campaign at every campus

--- Published on August 06th 2014 ---
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News & Alerts

Natoma

Natomas Unified is going the extra mile to get the new school year off to a safe start for bicyclists and drivers.

Knowing that excited children and busy streets can be a hazardous combination, the District is launching a campaign to spread the message of traffic safety to every Natomas family and to monitor roadways outside each campus for the start of the new school year.

“The message is simple:  Play it safe,” said Cecil Duke, assistant superintendent of NUSD Student Services and Safety. “Whether you’re biking or driving, take it slow, watch both ways, pay attention and drive defensively. The first step in a successful school year is to get students to class safely.”

When Fall classes start Aug. 13, a safety monitor wearing a bright orange vest will be stationed outside every campus, before and after school, to watch for potentially hazardous situations and to make sure students pay attention to rules of the road.

Sacramento Police Department school resource officers will assist in the safety campaign, which will extend through the first few days of school.

California has adopted a new state law, effective Sept. 16, requiring motorists to pass no closer than 3 feet from a bicyclist traveling in the same direction. Legislation alone won’t ensure safety, however, so the District urges everyone on the road to recognize potential hazards and do what they can to reduce them and protect kids.

Last year, Natomas Unified handed out school-bus yellow reflectors for students to attach to their backpacks or jackets.  Bicyclists should use reflective material again this year to improve their visibility on streets.

Other biking and driving safety tips that Natomas Unified is distributing to students and local  residents include: https://natomasunified.org/blog/stay-safe-when-school-starts-tips-for-biking-and-driving/

Anyone with questions about Natomas Unified’s traffic safety program for the start of the new year should call NUSD Student Services and Safety at 561-5203.