DATE: Friday, August 01, 2014
SUBJECT: Back to School Safety
RELEASE NUMBER: 2014-NR-067
CONTACT: Lt. Noah Robinson
AUTHORITY: Sheriff Dave Wedding
In the coming weeks Vanderburgh County students will be returning to school for the 2014-2015 school year. This will result in a large number of buses on the roads, children getting on and off the buses, new bus stop locations, new bus routes, congestion in and around the schools, new student drivers and many other factors to be aware of as our kids return to the classroom.
The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office will be stepping up our presence and enforcement around the schools and on bus routes to help make sure this school year gets off to a safe start. The Sheriff’s Office will be increasing patrols near all of the schools in Vanderburgh County located outside of the city limits of Evansville. Deputy Sheriffs will be watching for unsafe driving behavior, monitoring bus routes for safety issues and enforcing school bus stop arm violations.
Sheriff Dave Wedding explained, “The added presence of our deputies will function as both a deterrent and a reminder to slow down and pay attention. Having deputies stationed near our schools puts us in a position to respond immediately to any situations that may arise.”
At many locations, Sheriff’s Deputies will be assisting school personnel with traffic direction in and out of the school parking lots and drop off zones. The Vanderburgh County Highway Department has placed large school zone warning signs near all of these schools to help warn drivers.
Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation schools will begin their first day on Monday, August 11, 2014. Corpus Christi School begins on Wednesday, August 06, 2014. Resurrection Catholic School and St. Joseph School both begin their first day on Monday, August 11, 2014. Parochial schools inside the city limits have varying start dates, some as early as Tuesday, July 29, 2014.
Tips for back to school safety:
- If bus service is available, please utilize it.
- Please take pictures of your new student before you get to the school. Do not park in the drop-off zones of any of the schools to take your child into class.
- Utilize the proper restraint systems in your vehicle.
- Keep your speed to a minimum and pay extra attention in an around school zones and near school bus loading areas.
- Know when a school bus stops and its red stop sign or flashing lights appear children are boarding or exiting the bus. Be on the lookout for children crossing the street even after the bus has moved on.
- Please, no cell phone use in the school zones while operating a vehicle and no texting at any time while operating a vehicle.
- Encourage children getting on and off school buses to be very mindful of surrounding traffic, because the traffic may not be watching for them.
- Give yourself plenty of time. Do not let the frustration of running late compromise the good driving decisions you make.
- Please call 911 to report dangerous driving situations.
The men and women of the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office wish everyone a safe and successful school year.
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