School pick up and drop off: The rules police say parents need to follow

Wednesday marked the first day of school for hundreds of Central Coast students. As expected, it was a sea of cars and students once the final bell rang. “It’s hectic getting into the school,” said Everett Alvarez High School student, Jasmine Guerrero.

“They’ll go on the side and drop off their kids. They don’t wait for people to cross. They just go,” said a driver picking up a younger sibling.

Salinas Police patrolled Everett Alvarez High School and around other campuses to make sure parents are following the rules of the road in a school zone. Sergeant Robert Hampson with the Salinas Police Department said drivers often forget the basic laws after a three-month-long summer. “We see a lot of people stopping in the roadway to unload children. We see people not stopping at the crosswalk for pedestrians. People are just in hurry and aren’t being patient. They’re not taking their time to get where they’re going,” said Hampson.

Hampson said drivers can be cited for stopping at a curb in a red zone, stopping in the middle of the road, and stopping in a bike lane. He said each of these violations could lead to very serious accidents. “One of these days they’re going to be looking somewhere else, the kids are crossing, they don’t see the lights, and they’re going to run over a student,” said the sister.

In April, a Sherwood Elementary 2nd grade student was stuck by a car while walking home. The child suffered serious injuries. Officers want to ensure that does not happen again. “Leave a few minutes early. Leaving a few minutes early is better than taking a chance and having somebody get injured or having your car get involved in an accident,” said Hampson.

Heavy enforcement will continue near school zones for the remainder of the week.