- February 8, 2025
-
-
Loading
Loading
It's that time of year again when the backpacks come out, new outfits are bought and the sidewalks and streets become busier with students heading back to school.
To help prepare students and adults alike for the upcoming school year, which starts on August 14 for public schools in Volusia County, the Port Orange Police Department has actively been working to remind residents about safety.
According to Officer Evan Doyle, Port Orange police spokesman, the department works with Volusia County schools by doing safety and security reviews. During the reviews an officer will visit the schools and inspect the property to make sure there are no security issues.
Doyle said the department also looks at the previous school year to see what happened and what could be done better, such as adding officers for morning and evening school traffic, for the upcoming school year.
"We have some schools that require a little bit more attention than others, depending on the road that they're on, the areas that they're in, the number of kids in the school," Doyle said. "Fortunately, in terms of start time, it kind of allows us to be able to put the necessary resources where they need to be."
During a public meeting on Thursday, Aug. 3, Port Orange City Manager Jake Johansson said about four children were hit by cars rolling through stop signs last year by Creekside Middle School. He said the city has put up signs to alert people in that area to be more cautious. He noted they have also added additional officers in the area so that by the time school is in session people will be more aware of their surroundings.
According to a study from the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans, the number one cause for children, ages 0 to 7, to be hit by a car was darting into the street. The report indicated that 47% of accidents for children between the ages of 7 and 12 were due to jaywalking.
"Traffic picks up around the schools and people need to leave early or be prepared to be in traffic a little more than they've been used to." Port Orange Public Information Officer Evan Doyle.
Doyle said the police department is trying to educate more people about school safety through social media. He said they are working to let people know they should be extra cautious while driving as there are going to be more children walking and riding their bikes to school.
"Traffic picks up around the schools and people need to leave early or be prepared to be in traffic a little more than they've been used to," Doyle said. "At least for the first few weeks until everybody kind of figures out what's going on."
According to Doyle, he has seen two main factors when it comes to students being hit by cars. The first is drivers not stopping behind the white stop bar at stop signs, while the second is children riding their bikes across the roadways without paying attention to traffic. Doyle said these are two issues the police department is trying to spend more time working on in terms of educating residents.
The police department has also gone a step further by partnering with the Florida Hospital to promote safety by providing bicycle helmets to children. Doyle said officers hand out helmets to children that don't have them, whether that is through the school or giving one to a child directly. According to Florida State Law, children under the age of 16 are required to wear a helmet while riding a bike.
"We were noticing kids were riding bikes without helmets and thought it would be a good way to increase our presence," Doyle said. "We're working with schools to make sure everybody is aware of what's going on and what needs to happen, especially in these first hectic few weeks."
