Burlingame Police Warn Students to Be Cautious as New School Year Starts

The Burlingame Police Department would like to remind all drivers and pedestrians to be extra careful when a new school year starts and throughout the year.

The beginning of each school year brings new parents into the schools in the City of Burlingame. Often, it takes parents several weeks to become familiar with the best locations and times to drop off/pick up their children.

This confusion can create dangerous situations in which children cross the street at unsafe locations, walk between cars, or face increased risks even when crossing at designated crosswalks.

Additionally, parents in a hurry sometimes park in bus zones, and in front of private driveways, creating problems for neighbors of the school.

If You’re Walking

We ask students to be extra cautious when walking to and from school. Here are a few tips:
• Pay special attention to all traffic signals and crossing guards.
• Never cross the street against a red light, even if you don’t see any traffic coming.
• Wear reflective clothing and bright colors so drivers can see you more easily.
• Plan a safe walking route to school. Choose the most direct way with the fewest street crossings and, if possible, with intersections that have traffic controls.
• Advise children to be ready for their buses and to wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before approaching it.
• Stranger danger: It is crucial to remind our children on an ongoing basis about strangers. Complacency is a danger that sneaks up on all of us, from kids to parents.
• Give them a few more inches. New, young bicyclists are out on the streets finding their way to school. Give them a little more room on bike paths and in bike lanes, as many are still mastering the two-wheel balancing act.

If You’re Driving
• When a school bus is stopped with the stop sign extended out from the school bus you must stop immediately, no matter what direction you are traveling.
• Be very aware when school is back in session, as children will be walking to and from schools and
bus stops.
• Do not use the school’s bus loading zone - this zone is for school buses only, and dropping kids off at this location is not only dangerous, it also slows down the flow of all the other cars, and any buses coming in.
• As autumn approaches, there will be less daylight and children will be out early in the morning and thus more difficult to see.
• Watch for children entering the street from behind buses or running to catch the bus.
• When driving your children to school, drop them off and pick them up as close to the school as possible.
• Be courteous and respectful of neighbors - you can reduce the traffic and parking impact on residents living near a school drop off location by following all procedures, and by being sure to never park in front of driveways. Treat these neighbors in the way you’d like to be treated if you lived across the street from a school!
• Allow extra time - everyone is very busy, but that’s no excuse to put our kids’ safety at risk - leave a few minutes early to allow ample time for drop off and pick up. Just a few minutes can make a great difference, and help to make the traffic circulation around schools more efficient for everyone.
• Don’t leave your children until they are safely on school grounds.
• Drive slowly when approaching children who are riding bicycles and walking near the street.
• Buckle Up! Each year, thousands of children are killed or injured in car crashes. The sad fact is that many of these fatalities and injuries could have been avoided.
• Set the example! Not using crosswalks, failing to buckle up or not observing good safety measures all say one thing to our children: “It’s OK, mom and dad do it!”
• Watch your speed when entering school zones.

Check out the Burlingame School district’s web site at http://www.bsd.k12.ca.us/ for more information and other school issues.
Members of the Burlingame Police Department will be conducting traffic enforcement in school zones.

The Burlingame Police Department wishes everyone a safe school year.

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