Beginning Tuesday, drivers in Hermiston will have to do something they haven’t done in more than a year – slow down in school zones.
Hermiston students return to in-class instruction on Tuesday and Capt. Scott Clark of the Hermiston Police Department is reminding motorists to slow down to 20 mph in school zones when children are present.
“With the school district announcing the upcoming return of students to our schools, there are many things we can all do which helps keep them safe,” said Clark. “We want to remind everyone to please check your speeds through school zones, use caution around crosswalks, and ensure you are stopping for those flashing school bus lights. Keeping the children of our community safe is a partnership we consider of the utmost importance.”
A 2016 report titled “Safe Kids Worldwide” found that while the overall pedestrian death rate in children 19 and under has declined in the last 20 years, the rate for those 12-19 has not dropped as quickly compared to younger children. In 2015, 284 people ages 12-19 were killed while walking.
The report found that distraction was a key factor in many instances. Seventeen percent of middle school students and 27 percent of high school students observed were distracted by mobile devices. Distracted teens were wearing headphones (44 percent), texting (31 percent), talking on the phone (18 percent) or a combination of the three (7 percent).
To help decrease the risk of accidents in Hermiston, Clark said the high school resource officer will be educating incoming freshman about being safe and considerate pedestrians.
