- November 8, 2024
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Flagler County students return to school on Wednesday, Aug. 10, and the Flagler County Sheriff's Office has issued a news release urging motorists, parents and guardians and children to follow these safety tips:
1. Leave a few minutes early to avoid the rush to school.
2. Watch out for children in school zones and streets close to schools.
3. Pay close attention to school buses. Remember, when a school bus stops and turns on its flashing lights and extends it signs, you must also stop unless there is an unpaved median of at least five feet, a raised median, or a physical barrier separating your vehicle from the stopped school bus.
4. Ensure everyone in your vehicle is properly secured in either an approved car seat or safety belt.
5. Always slow down through school zones. Pay close attention to the crossing guards at those intersections. Some crossing times may vary.
6. Children should always be instructed to catch the eye and attention of the bus driver when walking in front of the school bus. A good rule to follow: Be at least 10 feet in front of the bus when crossing.
7. Establish one or more safe routes for your child to take to the bus stop/school. Instruct your child not to use short cuts unless you know the route is safe.
8. Teach your child to always use the crosswalks and obey all traffic signals.
9. If possible, arrange for a group to walk with your child to school.
10. Remind children to stay in well-lit areas and to walk in the middle of the sidewalk.
11. Develop a secret password for you to use with your children in the event of an emergency
where you cannot pick them up from school or another location. This password should never be shared with anyone other than you and your child.
12. Talk to your child and let them know anyone can be a stranger. Strangers are not always dressed in dark or dirty clothing. Strangers are anyone they don’t know. Tell your child to never speak to a stranger and if a stranger asks your child a question, your child should be instructed to say in a loud voice “I cannot talk to you” and immediately find a trusted adult, school official, crossing guard, or law enforcement officer.
12. Immediately report all suspicious activity to 911.
12. Everyone is urged to learn who is living near them. Visit fdle.state.fl.us to view information on every sexual offender and predator in Flagler County. Your search can be refined to your ZIP code area, or even a five-mile radius of your home.
Deputies will be also monitoring school zones and nearby areas during the initial weeks of class to remind drivers to slow down, according to the news release. Driving citation amounts can range from $116 for a non-moving violation to $166 for a moving violation. Speeding fines start at $156, and can exceed $606 for speeding through a school zone. Failing to stop for a school bus is a $271 citation, and passing a school bus is $371.
