Full Notification

Back To School – Drive Carefully

Ripon Police Department officers will be out in force this week patrolling school zones and issuing citations to promote traffic safety.

Please remember the following traffic safety tips:

• Slow down. Speed limits in school zones are reduced for a reason. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 25 mph is nearly two-thirds less likely to be killed compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling just 10 mph faster.

• Come to a complete stop. Research shows that more than one-third of drivers roll through stop signs in school zones or neighborhoods. Always come to a complete stop, checking carefully for children on sidewalks and in crosswalks before proceeding.

• Do not let passengers exit the vehicle while it’s in the traffic lane. Children should not be allowed to exit the vehicle while it’s still in the traffic lane. Drivers should pull over in a designated area, and passengers should exit to the sidewalk.

• Eliminate distractions. Research shows that taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles your chances of crashing. And children can be quick, crossing the road unexpectedly or emerging suddenly between two parked cars. Do not text while driving.

• Reverse responsibly. Every vehicle has blind spots. Check for children on the sidewalk, in the driveway and around your vehicle before slowly backing up. Teach your children to never play in, under or around vehicles.

• Watch for bicycles. Children on bikes are often inexperienced, unsteady and unpredictable. Slow down and allow at least three feet of passing distance between your vehicle and a bicyclist. If your child rides a bicycle to school, require that he or she wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet on every ride.

• Watch for young pedestrians. Some pedestrians are inexperienced and they may run between parked cars into traffic. Slow down in school zones.

• Talk to your teen. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States, and nearly one in four fatal crashes involving teen drivers occur during the after-school hours of 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

• Do not let passengers exit the vehicle while it’s in the traffic lane. Children should not be allowed to exit the vehicle while it’s still in the traffic lane. Drivers should pull over in a designated area, and passengers should exit to the sidewalk.

Ripon PD officers will be out in force this week patrolling school zones and issuing citations to promote traffic safety. Let’s all work together to keep our kids safe!

P.I.O.-Lieutenant Steve Merchant Ripon Police Department 259 N. Wilma Ave. Ripon, CA 95366 209-599-2102 Business 209-599-0262 Desk 209-599-4034 FAX [email protected]