It is that time a year again when the buses start rolling and kids start making their way back to school. Along with school starting, comes increased traffic volume on our local roadways. With this in mind, the Benton Police Department will be conducting a school traffic safety initiative in August.
Due to the increased traffic volume, we will experience in the school zones, officers will be out in full force to ensure that drivers adhere to all traffic laws in the school zones.
Officers will be looking for speeding violations in addition to other distracted driving issues, such as texting and driving. There will be a zero tolerance stance in school zones involving distracted driving, speeding, passing stopped school buses, seat belt usage and other pertinent traffic laws.
For those that have teenagers that will be driving themselves to school, please consider going over some basic rules with them. One thing to be mindful of is the graduated drivers license that limits the juvenile passengers they can carry based on their age. This was instituted a few years ago to reduce the risk juvenile drivers pose to themselves or others due to risky actions they may take when accompanied with numerous juvenile passengers.
Also, distracted driving is a big safety concern for everybody and can include risky actions while driving such as; texting, checking social media, eating, applying makeup, or watching a video. Sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent-at 55 mph-of driving the length of an entire football field, blind.
Remember, it’s illegal for anybody to text and drive and this includes adults as well as juveniles. It should be noted that a law was passed in 2011 where drivers can be pulled over and given a citation for talking on a cellular telephone in a school zone when children are present.
We will also be starting an education and enforcement campaign aimed at drunk driving, both adults and underage drinkers. We will be putting out information about the dangers of drinking and driving in addition to taking additional enforcement efforts to curb them. The enforcement effort will include additional officers working DWI selective task force and sobriety checkpoints over the next month.
We understand that it can be a difficult transition with school starting back, but we ask that everyone have a little patience with each other. Our goal, as well as yours, is to ensure the safety of our children as they travel to and from school throughout the year. Stay Safe Out There.