School Traffic Accidents

Speed bumps don’t slow them down. Kids suddenly darting out from behind parked cars don’t slow them down, either. Drivers, hell-bent on getting in and out of the chaos of after-school pick-up at Chaparral Middle School, often distracted by some oh-so-important conversation on their cell phone, don’t seem to slow down for anything or anyone. I watch them every afternoon from approximately 2:45  – 3:25 pm, as I sit parked behind Moopark Athletic Club waiting for my son and another boy to make their way to the car. I back into the parking space, head out, as I may not otherwise get an opportunity to exit. No one wants to stop long enough or allow adequate space for a car to back up.  From my vantage point, I can observe parents driving both into and exiting the parking lot. In a word: Scary.

I used to park directly behind the school, where cars line up and down both sides of the street as far as the eye can see. But, after two frightening incidents involving kids suddenly running between parked cars, then into and across the street, before seeming to appear out of nowhere in front of my car, I decided to change my pick-up location. Both times, I was traveling at a very low speed, which fortunately allowed time to stop, but always seemed to aggravate the other drivers. So, I moved to my new location and asked the kids to walk along a path behind the school to the parking lot behind the club’s pool. I park near the speed bump, which is not as helpful as I first thought. Cars fly over it without so much as tapping the brakes, or swerve dangerously around it. Following the 3:20 bell, kids come streaming out of the school and do what kids do. They talk, laugh, amble along or run with the exuberant abandonment. It is the adult’s responsibility, especially behind the wheel of a car, to know that kids are forgetful no matter how many times they are asked to stop, look and listen. They are often daydreaming, tired, preoccupied, or simply not thinking as they leave school.

An excellent article regarding a school traffic accident in nearby Oak Park can be read in the Opinion Section of the Moorpark Acorn today, September 25, 2009. The writer sums up, beautifully, what so many of us parents already know. The blatant disregard by far too many drivers in the community of Moorpark for the safety of our students creates an “accident waiting to happen” environment. But, most of these near misses behind Chaparral Middle School are not attributable to random accidents, but, instead are the consequence of speed, frustration, tardiness, impatience, distraction, and I would add self-centeredness and entitlement. Some people just feel they, more than anyone else, have more important things to do and places to go.

Slow down, people. Shut up and drive. Plan ahead. Take it easy. Kids will be kids, count on it. Be a courteous driver and teach your children that running between parked cars and into a street is not a very safe or smart idea. Is there really anything so important it can’t wait?