Arlington Police to Participate in 2015 Back to School Safety Campaign

As the 2015-2016 school year begins, the Arlington County Police Department will be conducting high visibility traffic enforcement in and around the school zones throughout Arlington County starting on Tuesday, the first day of school, according to a news release from police.

Drivers are reminded to:

• Obey speed limits which may change during school zone times.
• Avoid distracted driving and keep your attention on the road.
• Watch for students walking and riding bikes to school.
• Don’t pass a stopped school bus loading or unloading passengers.
• Have all vehicle occupants wear their seatbelts.

Students, bicyclists, and pedestrians are reminded to:

• Cross the street at marked crosswalks and never against a red light.
• Look before you cross and follow the direction of school crossing guards.
• Always walk on designated sidewalks or paths, never along the side of a road.

Arlington County will have message boards placed along the roadways reminding citizens of the start of school and to drive safely. Police point out that with a little prevention, all drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians can arrive at their destinations in a timely and safe manner.

As a reminder, Arlington County Public School buses are now equipped with high-resolution cameras on exterior stop arms. The cameras will automatically capture images and video of any vehicle that passes the bus, from behind or front, when the bus is stopped with flashing red signals and the bus arm extended.

Each violation initially will be reviewed by the vendor and then sent to the Arlington County Police Department for final review. The process is completely automated and requires no action by the bus driver. If a violation is approved, a citation will be issued and mailed to the vehicle’s registered owner. The owner of the vehicle will be subject to a civil penalty of $250 that will be payable to Arlington Public Schools.