BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Schools all over Western New York are getting ready to welcome back students and they want to make sure everyone arrives safely. Officer Chuck Persons from the Amherst Police Department says, "There's going to be an increase in vehicular traffic as well as pedestrian traffic around the schools." He reminds drivers to be extra cautious, give yourself more time and avoid distractions, "Just that one moment where you look down at your phone could be the moment where a problem happens so obey those speed limits, especially in the school zones. Watch for buses that are stopped and watch for crossing guards and pedestrians."
Buffalo Commissioner of Public Works, Michael Finn hopes recent updates to crosswalks will make it safer for students. He explains, "We did a little over 40 schools across the city focusing on main roads. This year we have the funding to do all of our schools within the city. We have over 100 schools." Updates include new striping and the word "school" printed on the pavement
Finn says they hope to have all the crosswalks within the city updated before the winter and he says, "The total cost of that between this year and last year is 850 thousand dollars. That's an effort to make school safer."
As efforts like that continue, officers remind us we can all help make the roads safer. Illegal school bus passing could lead to hundreds of dollars in fines, jail time and possible injury or death. Officer Persons says, "It really is imperative that everybody puts safety first and I know it's very cliched and we say it every year... but it really is an important thing because everybody thinks that they can't be in an accident, they're such a great driver, but it can happen to anybody. It only takes a second for tragedy to happen."
