Strategies For Reaching All Drivers Near the School

Signage reminds drivers of neighborhood speed watch program. Speed limit is 25 MPH.

Burton Valley, CA.

A good time to provide safety messages to drivers is while they are in their motor vehicle near the school such as through signage, enforcement strategies and media.

Signage

Sign messages, such as "Drive 25, Keep Kids Alive" and "Give Our Kids a Brake," remind drivers to slow down and help to build a cooperative community spirit. Although these signs are not in the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), communities are allowed to install educational and guide signs which are not "uniform." Signs installed on private property, like yards, are not covered by the MUTCD. Stickers and banners are also sometimes affixed to garbage cans or hung across streets. Before hanging banners or signs across streets or on public signposts, approval should be obtained from the appropriate government office. See Engineering for more information about signage.

Enforcement activities

Enforcement strategies can be combined with education, such as by using speed trailers at key locations around schools. Speed trailers display the speed a motor vehicle is traveling as it passes the trailer. See Enforcement for additional examples.

Media

Radio announcements played during drive times can serve as timely reminders. Other media, such as newspaper articles or television features, can be used to draw attention to the importance of careful driving when children are present and to highlight a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program.

Parents and neighbors often make up a large amount of the traffic near a school during school drop-off and pick-up times. See the Parents and Neighbors sections of this module to learn about messages and strategies to reach them.