School Crosswalks: A Tragedy Waiting to Happen?

Piedmont Police Officer Steve DeWarns has been handing out a lot of traffic tickets lately near Havens Elementary School.

It's not because he especially likes writing out traffic citations. It's because, DeWarns says, drivers are putting the lives of of school crossing guards and schoolchildren at risk.

The biggest problem is that some drivers aren't slowing or stopping – even when a crossing guard is holding up a sign indicating that children are about to enter a crosswalk. And the guards, wearing brightly colored jackets and reflector vests, are hard to miss.

The worst location is probably the crosswalk at Highland and Craig avenues, by Havens School, says DeWarns, who is a traffic officer with the Piedmont Police Department. But the situation is also problematic at other crosswalks where guards are directing traffic before and after school.

"There have been several complaints from our crossing guards and citizens about those who are not abiding by the orders of the crossing guards, which puts them and our children at risk of being hit by a vehicle," DeWarns says.

He notes that even if a car is traveling at the basic Highland Avenue speed limit of 25 miles per hour, it still takes at least 85 feet for a driver to stop in an emergency. That's roughly six car lengths (based on a mid-sized car).

At 30 mph, the stopping distance increases to 109 feet, or about eight car lengths. And at 35 mph, it takes 136 feet, or 10 car lengths.

"Basically, you need a lot of room to stop," DeWarns says.

More than Speed Limits

What's causing the problems? Several factors contribute, including distracted drivers, distracted pedestrians and the traffic congestion caused by parents dropping off and picking up their children at school, DeWarns says.

He says one important concept for drivers to remember is "speed for conditions." That means taking into account such things as proximity to a school, stopped vehicles ahead and weather conditions.

In Piedmont, the speed limit drops to 15 mph when passing a school. But in practice, most drivers on Highland are moving at 30 to 35 mph, DeWarns says, and they aren't slowing at crosswalks.

Drivers are also failing to slow down when cars ahead of them are stopping, he says. Even if one lane is clear, stopped or slowing vehicles ahead may signal a pedestrian crossing the street, he notes.

The distraction caused by talking on a cell phone – even a hands-free device – may be a factor, he thinks.

Pedestrians Need to be Careful, Too

The existence of a crosswalk doesn't guarantee a pedestrian's safety. Unfortunately, many local children no longer follow the time-honored rule of stopping and looking both ways before crossing a street, DeWarns says.

"The kids just assume cars are going to stop," he says. "The crosswalk jsut becomes an extension of the sidewalk to them."

That's especially true when kids are wearing earbuds, talking on cell phones or texting, he thinks.

"I had to 'educate' some middle school-age kids today who just ran right into the street without looking," he said.

Parental Traffic Jams

The congestion caused by large numbers of parents dropping off and picking up their children by contributes to the hazardous traffic situation too, DeWarns says.

"You get a big cluster of cars, double parking, parents backing up into the red zone," he says. All those things make it hard for other drivers to see what's ahead – such a crossing guard signalling cars to stop.

It would help, he thinks, if some parents selected a different pick-up stop for their kids, maybe a location a little further down the street.

What do you think of the traffic situation near Piedmont schools? Any ideas to increase pedestrian and crossing guard safety? Tell us in the comments section below.