Back to School in Livermore: Police Urge Drivers to Use Caution Near Schools

It is back to school time in Livermore. All of our local schools will be starting classes soon.

The Livermore Police Department would like to take this time to remind parents and students about the following back to school traffic safety issues:

Bicycle Safety: If your child rides their bicycle to school, make sure they wear their bicycle helmet correctly.
Also talk to your child about following all of the bicycling laws; riding on the right-hand side of the road
(same direction as traffic), stopping for stop signs, and not carrying passengers on their bicycle.

Pedestrian Safety: Please remind your students to only cross streets at the signal lights or marked
crosswalks. Any students observed crossing in the middle of the street (jaywalking) may be cited. This also
includes trips off campus at brunch and lunchtime.

Driving in school zones: Abide by all traffic laws. Remember the speed limit in school zones is 25 MPH when children are present (regardless of the posted speed). Also keep in mind the safe speed for conditions may be quite a bit lower in school zones due to increased pedestrian and bicycle traffic, so drive cautiously.

Dropping off in or near the school: All schools have a designated drop off area for students. Some areas
are unstaffed and some are staffed with student Valets. Take advantage of these safe and legal areas to
drop off your child. NEVER drop off a student in the middle of the street, even if traffic is stopped. Dropping
off your student in the middle of the street puts them in great danger from passing traffic as other drivers will
not expect to see a pedestrian in the roadway.

Parking at the school: The school’s parking area may have been re-striped or posted since the last school year, so please abide by all parking zones in and around the school. The parking zones are strategically placed for you and your child’s safety. Parking zones are typically marked with painted curbs.

Red curb - You can never stop, stand, or park your vehicle in a red zone.
Yellow curb - Drop off only, you may not park and exit your vehicle.
Green curb - Time limit parking, regulated by a posted sign or curb marking.

Driving and parking in school zones can be a hectic time. Try the following tips, as they may make your journey more pleasant:
Arrive early - Even 5 minutes earlier can make a difference.
Carpooling - Share the ride with friends, but remember one occupant per seatbelt.
Prearrange a location for your child to wait for you - Park a block away. Make sure the location
is safe and legal for you to stop in.
Walk or ride your bicycle to school - Parents should walk/ride with their student until they feel
confident with their child’s abilities.

As part of our continuing Parking, Education and Enforcement Program, the Livermore Police Department’s Traffic Unit will be monitoring the schools at drop off and pick up times on a daily basis. Citations may be issued to drivers who do not follow the rules.

We would like to thank you in advance for your cooperation in helping us to keep our Livermore children safe. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to call Livermore Police Department-Traffic Education Officer, Traci Rebiejo at (925) 580-9665.

—Information submitted by Livermore Police

Related article: Back to School: CHP Urges Caution Around Buses, School Zones