THREE AREA SCHOOLS TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WALK TO SCHOOL DAY ON OCTOBER 4, 2006

Event promotes health, safety, physical activity, and concern for the environment

Dawson Elementary, Dimon Elementary, and St. Mary’s Road Elementary in Columbus will be joining 3,000 schools from all 50 states in the U.S., and schools in 36 countries from around the world to celebrate the 9th Annual “International Walk To School Day” event on October 4, 2006 as a part of the ‘Walk This Way’ program.

Sponsored by FedEx Express, Safe Kids Columbus with the help of the Columbus Traffic Engineering Divison, the Urban League of Greater Columbus, the Columbus Police Department, and other community leaders, have been working together to make environmental improvements for child pedestrians in the St. Mary’s Road corridor between Brennan Road and Northstar Drive and the surrounding school zone areas.

Pedestrian trauma injury data shows that in the past five years, nineteen child pedestrians in this area were injured by being hit by a vehicle. The selected area schools were given an opportunity to participate in an educational school assembly about pedestrian safety in preparation for the event. The ‘Walk This Way’ program promotes physical activity, teaching safe walking skills to children, awareness of how walk-able a community is and where improvements can be made, concern for the environment, reducing traffic congestion, pollution and speed near schools, taking back neighborhoods for people on foot, and sharing time with community leaders, parents and children.

The “International Walk To School Day” procession of students, teachers, parents, volunteers, community leaders, and the Columbus Police Department Motor Squad will demonstrate safe walking behaviors while walking to school on the morning of October 4th.

When walking in your community, remember to always:
• Walk on a sidewalk and use a crosswalk whenever possible. When walking in the street, walk facing traffic so you can see oncoming cars.
• Look LEFT-RIGHT-LEFT before crossing the street, even when a pedestrian signal says “WALK”. Also, obey pedestrian crossing signals.
• Be visible: when walking in the dark, wear light colors or retro-reflective material

Remember that even if a pedestrian can see a driver, the driver may not be able to see the pedestrian. When they do see pedestrians, drivers often assume they will stay out of their way. According to Georgia law, when a pedestrian shows an intention to cross the street by stepping off the curb, motorists must stop and stay stopped to allow the pedestrian to cross. Also, the crosswalk law states that drivers approaching crosswalks with pedestrians in them must stop and stay stopped, not just yield to them. At crosswalks without signals, pedestrians always have the right of way.

 

 

Phone: (706) 321-6183 | Fax: (706) 321 6326 | Email: info@safekidscolumbus.com