Continuing with our safety messages, Rural Metro Fire wants to take a moment to urge everyone to exercise extreme safety as we enter the back-to-school season.
On Aug. 8, or close to that date, all area students will return to classes. They will be standing out on the streets in the early morning hours waiting to board the school buses, eager to return to classes and excited to see all their friends from the previous school year.
They will be anxious, but excited, and the last thing they will be thinking of will be watching out for motorists driving to work. We motorists haven’t seen them for several months and we now must be more aware of their presence. We all know children and their short attention spans. Couple that with not quite being awake yet and we have potential for disaster.
There will be more activity around schools. School zone speed limits will be in effect and law enforcement officers will be on hand to make sure we all adhere to the rules of the road. This will bring about an increase of traffic and cause more congestion than normal for those of us going to and from work. It is also important to note that there are two additional schools in our county – Gibbs Middle and Hardin Valley Middle. Both are included within existing school zones, but will no doubt increase traffic in those areas.
New teen drivers! UGH! They will be out and about more than ever driving to and from school. Most will be very cautious and courteous drivers. However, we experienced drivers must remember that they are inexperienced drivers. They would never admit that, but they are.
They are new behind the wheel, new driving on their own to school and new to a different grade level. They have a lot on their minds as well and we must remember that. Give them a lot of room, and a lot of understanding as they now become part of the morning and afternoon commute around our homes, schools and businesses.
Rural Metro Fire is a division of AMR, the nation’s largest provider of emergency services. Its 200 full-time and on-call firefighters operate from 17 stations serving Knox County since 1977. Rural Metro is member-funded, and its members generally pay far less for homeowner’s insurance because of having a subscription to the department. Non-members are charged for services and do not benefit from insurance premium savings. Property owners can subscribe to Rural Metro by calling its Members Services Office at 560-0239.