The back to school bustle is something crossing guard Michael O'Hare adores. But all that bustle makes for a busier commute. And one that can be dangerous when you factor in distracted drivers near schools.
"They are not paying attention there is a school here," O'Hare said. "They should be slowing down. Often times they are going too fast they are possibly on their cell phone they are texting."
O'Hare is also taken aback by the choices some parents make behind the wheel. He said, "They won't pay attention to the safety of their students, they will be double parking in front of schools where the kids will be going out between cars so they are not really playing it safe."
Valley families are scared those who don't pay attention in school zones will hurt their children.
Valerie Lopez said, "When there is speed bumps and stuff they still drive really fast and it's dangerous for the kids."
Pamela Zamora said, "I am scared they might not see them and they might get hit and if something happened to them then my life would practically be over."
Fresno police say they usually see a small spike in the number of accidents when classes kick off. So, officers plan to park near school zones to enforce the speed limit.
Sgt. Anthony Dewall said, "The school zone being a lower speed limit they are not enacted during the summer months so they tend to forget that they are traveling through those school zones and when once school starts the slower speed limit takes effect."
Police are reminding people to slow down, pay attention, and play their part in keeping kids safe.
