The Azusa Police Department, in partnership with the Azusa Unified School District, will join hundreds of schools from across the state to celebrate National Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 10, 2018. Walk to School Day provides students and families the opportunity to get active, reduces traffic around schools, and teaches children how to safely use roadways whether on foot or on two wheels.

In partnership with the Azusa Police Department and the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), the annual Walk to School Day will serve as a way to educate children, parents/guardians and the community on best traffic safety practices to and from school.

Members of the Azusa Police Department will join the walk and will be sending traffic/patrol officers to the neighborhoods near schools to enforce traffic laws in an effort to remind everyone of the importance of pedestrian safety this day and every day around schools.

The event will begin at 7:30 AM with children, parents/guardians, and community leaders walking to school from pre-designated locations.

For those participating in Walk to School Day, the Azusa Police Department will offer parents/guardians guidance in teaching pedestrian/bike safety to their children, as well as tips for drivers who will make their way through school zones:

Children:

• Always use a crosswalk when crossing the street. Look both ways to make sure it is safe to cross.
• Encourage your child not to wear earbuds when walking, and test them on traffic rules, such as stopping at stop signs and signals.
• If riding your bike to school, ride single file in the bike lane with traffic. If riding on the sidewalk, look out for people walking.
• Walk to school with friends or in a group.

Drivers:

• Drive slowly and with caution in school zones. School zones have reduced speed limits (as low as 15MPH) when children are present.
• Do not text or talk on your cell phone while driving.
• Keep an eye out for children walking in the street.
• Consider using a route away from a school to save time.
• Look for school buses and know what to do around them. Overhead flashing yellow lights indicate you should prepare to stop, hazard flashing yellow lights means drive with caution, and overhead flashing red lights means stop. The law requires drivers to stop in both directions until children are safely across the street and red lights stop flashing.

ABOUT BIKE/WALK TO SCHOOL DAY

The first Walk to School Day event began in 1997 by the Partnership for a Walkable America to encourage children to be familiar with their neighborhood and emphasize ways to make trips to and from school safe and fun. With more children bicycling to school, the first National Bike to School Day started in 2012, and now the one-day event encompasses thousands of schools across the country, and more than 40 countries worldwide.

To learn more about Bike/Walk to School Day, visit www.walkbiketoschool.org. You can search for participating schools here: www.walkbiketoschool.org/registration/whoswalking.php?sid=CA.

To learn more about Safe Routes to School, and ways to implement projects and activities that promote safe walking and bicycling to school every day, visit www.saferoutesinfo.org.