LAPD shares back-to-school safety tips ahead of first day of class
Police begin back-to-school safety awareness campaign
Police are trying to make sure students get to their classes safely as the new school year underway. FOX 11's Mario Ramirez is live in Panorama City where police there have some advice.
LOS ANGELES - More than 520,000 students across Los Angeles are expected to head back to school on Aug. 12, traveling by car, school bus, bicycle and on foot.
As the new school year approaches, the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles School Police Department are reminding drivers, parents and students to prioritize safety during the busy morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up hours.
Back-to-school safety campaign
Authorities are raising awareness about back-to-school traffic safety ahead of the first day of school.
They say the goal is to remind motorists to slow down, stay alert and watch for children in and around school zones as hundreds of thousands of students return to campuses across the city.
School transportation crash statistics
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 110 people were killed in school transportation-related crashes in 2024.
From 2015 through 2024, 1,069 people were killed in school transportation-related crashes, including 204 children ages 18 and younger.
The child victims included 78 occupants of other cars, 39 passengers in school vehicles, 77 pedestrians, seven bicyclists, and three others outside of a vehicle
The agency also found that 55% of child pedestrians killed in school transportation-related crashes were between the ages of 5 and 10. Significantly more school-aged children were killed during school drop-off and pick-up hours.
Safety reminders for drivers
Officials are encouraging drivers to reduce their speed in school zones and neighborhoods where children are walking or biking to school.
Motorists are also reminded to obey school bus laws. Yellow flashing lights indicate a school bus is preparing to stop, while red flashing lights and an extended stop arm require drivers to stop until the bus resumes motion.
Parents are encouraged to review safe walking and biking routes with their children, discuss traffic safety and ensure children are visible to drivers.
Officials also recommend teaching children to wait at least 10 feet from the curb while waiting for the school bus and to board only after the driver signals that it is safe.
The Source: This report is based on information provided by the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles School Police Department, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.