Nicole Raz
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON (WMAL) — Distracted walking, distracted driving and more congestion at school drop offs in Montgomery County means more fatal accidents. Several council members want to see more educational campaigns on public safety.
“The cut-throat traffic, the speeds, and all of that create such an extraordinarily challenging and dangerous situation for students,” says Councilmember Nancy Navarro.
She and other members of the council say that not enough parents and kids are using the crosswalks, sidewalks, nor are they looking both ways before crossing a street.
According to County Police, in 2015 there were 15 traffic accidents involving school aged kids within a quarter mile of a school.
The council as well as police are hoping to to see more educational campaigns in schools to make sure parents and kids are using crosswalks and paying attention.
“We should have safety programs in every school,” said Montgomery County Police Capt. Tom Didone,.
Especially elementary and middle schools, he says, because “by the time they’re in high school we’ve lost them.”
As part of a bolstered education campaign, Councilmember Marc Elrich would like to see a user-friendly app that parents and kids can download, showing them the recommended route to their school.
“We can make this as simple as enter your address and the school you’re going to and have the things [routes] pop up.”
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(PHOTO: CNN)
