Full Notification

For Immediate Release: October, 03, 2016

Contact: Sergeant John Villanti
805.594.8066
[email protected]

San Luis Obispo Police Department Will Join Several Community Schools for National Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 5th

San Luis Obispo, CA– San Luis Coastal Unified School District will join schools from around the country to celebrate National Walk to School Day on October 5, 2016 in partnership with San Luis Obispo Police Department to send unified traffic safety messages to our community.

Students from Sinsheimer Elementary School will be walking and biking to school on Wednesday, October 5th along with parents, teachers and community leaders. Members of San Luis Obispo Police Department will be deploying traffic/patrol officers to the neighborhoods near schools to enforce traffic laws, reminding everyone the importance of pedestrian and bicycle safety this day and every day represents.

Walk to School Day events raise awareness of the need to create safer routes for walking and bicycling. It also emphasizes the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion and concern for the environment. The events build connections between law enforcement, families, schools and the broader community.

The event is being organized by several local community groups, officers from the San Luis Obispo Police Department Neighborhood program and the Traffic Safety Unit. At the conclusion of National Walk to School Day, the San Luis Obispo Traffic Safety Unit will be doing random enforcement in identified areas related to pedestrian safety throughout the remainder of the school year. Funding for these future enforcement operations has been provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety.


Important Safety Reminders

For Pedestrians:
• Walk on a sidewalk or path when one is available.
• If no sidewalk or path is available, walk on the shoulder, facing traffic.
• Stay alert; don’t be distracted by electronic devices, including smart phones, MP3 players, and other devices that take your eyes (and ears) off the road.
• Be cautious night and day when sharing the road with vehicles. Never assume a driver sees you (he or she could be distracted, under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, or just not see you). Make eye contact with drivers as they approach.
• Be predictable. Cross streets at crosswalks or intersections when possible. This is where drivers expect pedestrians.
• If a crosswalk or intersection is not available, locate a well-lit area, wait for a gap in traffic that allows you enough time to cross safely, and continue to watch for traffic as you cross.
• Be visible. Wear bright clothing during the day, and wear reflective materials or use a flash light at night.

For Drivers:
• Look for pedestrians everywhere. Pedestrians may not be walking where they should be or may be hard to see—especially in poor lit conditions, including dusk/dawn/night and poor weather.
• Always stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk or where pedestrian crosswalk signs are posted.
• Never pass vehicles stopped at a crosswalk. They may be stopped to allow pedestrians to cross the street.
• Slowdown and look for pedestrians. Be prepared to stop when turning or otherwise entering a crosswalk.
• Never drive under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
• Follow the speed limit; slow down around pedestrians.
• Stay focused and slow down where children may be present, like school zones and neighborhoods.

For additional information, please visit these websites:
Walk to School Day in the USA - www.walkbiketoschool.org
National Center for Safe Routes to School - www.saferoutesinfo.org

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