BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Many students return to school on Wednesday, and as the Bakersfield Police Department expects busier roads, they remind drivers to watch out for kids walking to school.
- Video shows busy intersection outside Franklin Elementary School
- Kristian Chocoteco is sending her son, Marshall, to Franklin Elementary School for the first time, and tells 23ABC she's concerned about the busy street outside the school.
Intersections like this one on Truxtun Avenue are about to get much busier as many students head back to classes.
High speeds on streets near schools spell danger for new and returning students headed back to classes on Wednesday.
“People do fly fast right here,” Kristian Chocoteco, a local mom, said.
Chocoteco says she’s concerned about Truxtun Ave. right in front of Franklin Elementary School.
“If they could just slow down because we do have to get kids in and out of the car,” she said.
She says she’s sending her son, Marshall, to school here for the first time.
“It is kind of different for him to just go from being so free to being in a classroom.”
The Bakersfield Police Department wants to make sure children like Marshall make it into their classrooms safely.
“We don’t want to see any collisions involving kids," Adam Clayton, a senior officer with BPD says. "We don’t want to see any collisions at all, but we need to take care of our children because they may not necessarily know or understand the hazard they may be causing.”
Clayton says additional motor officers will be stationed around school zones to support schools on the first day.
“We expect a lot of confusion and a lot of congestion just with like I said people running late or their routines are out of wack, may not be used to getting up that early or getting their kids ready for school,” Clayton said.
Clayton reminds parents to plan trips ahead of time and maintain speeds at 25 miles per hour in school zones.
He adds parents walking their kids to school should cross at crosswalks with crossing guards to prevent collisions for all students resuming classes on Wednesday.
If you need to report traffic hazards, call BPD at 327-7111.
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