School Traffic

Traffic safety is an issue in many schools in big cities. The traffic problem is a cycle that will not get better without more funds and training. In a recent article in the Los Angeles Journal titled, "Giving Lessons in Traffic Safety at Middle Schools," Jennifer Steinhauer addresses the issue by focusing on a handful of elementary and middle schools in the Los Angeles area. According to the article, from January to November of 2008 there were 153 traffic-related injuries around schools in Los Angeles. Even more specifically, last year there were two eighth-grade girls in the area who were hit by vehicles near school, and one girl was left partly paralyzed. Tragedies such as this are a wake-up call to administrators. The students' safety should come first, but unfortunately getting the funds for better traffic safety is not as easy with the current state of the economy. “The problem is that there are not enough resources,” said Michelle McGinnis, a prosecutor in the office. “And those resources are diminishing."
Although traffic saftey is an issue that needs to be addressed in large cities with growing populations such as Los Angeles, funds are not easy to come by. Schools with issues like these should follow the example of L.A. and use a training program and buy traffic safety equipment — bright vests, traffic cones — in order to “professionalize” parents and other volunteers. All it takes is an initiative, and change can be made.

Citation:
Steinhauer, Jennifer. "Giving Lessons on Traffic Safety in Middle Schools." L.A. Journal. April 9, 2009.