It’s Back to School Safety Month, and the Fresno Police Department reminds drivers to slow down and be extra careful around school zones.

As students head back to the classroom, remember to stop anytime you see a school bus with a stop sign and flashing red lights. This is so students can safely get on and off the bus.

Drivers on both sides of a two-lane road, without a median or center turn lane, must halt and remain stopped while bus lights remain on.

Fresno has been plagued by pedestrian injuries and deaths, prompting City Hall to embark on improvements such as pedestrian crossing signals, better striping on crosswalks and bike lanes, and construction of roundabouts.

Just last year, Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson said that the number of students injured in pedestrian accidents had doubled from previous years.

Follow These Safety Tips

Fresno police offer the following tips to stay safe:

• Focus on the road, not your status. That phone call, text, or email can wait.
• Slow down and always follow the speed limit of 25 mph in school zones while students are present.
• Adhere to school policies while dropping off and picking up students.
• Stop for school buses and keep an eye out for stray children in a rush.
• Avoid blocking crosswalks while waiting to make a right-hand turn.
• Give pedestrians a “brake” at crosswalks and unmarked corners.
• Teach your children safe walking and biking behaviors, such as looking both ways before crossing the street, using sidewalks when available, and crossing at marked walkways with stop signs or signals.

If you want to share your thoughts about school zones participating in the Go Safety Movement, a call-to-action traffic safety survey from the California Office of Traffic Safety is available at gosafelyca.org.