Parents taking student safety into their own hands
»Play Video
SEATTLE -- Parents in one Seattle neighborhood are taking the safety of their children into their own hands instead of waiting for the city to act.
Parent Joelle Craft is thankful that most drivers spot the neon sign she regularly holds outside of Boren Elementary School asking them to slow down in the school zone.
"I started holding signs back in September and they slowed down a lot," she said.
Many families say the signs are the only way they feel they can keep their kids safe getting to and from their West Seattle school, which is located along a busy street.
The city installed school speed zone signs three years ago when high school students moved in, but this year the kids are much younger.
"(The sign) says when children are present, and unfortunately these signs are posted in a place where you won't see the children until it's really too late for you to slow down," said parent Kathleen Voss.
Parents like Craft and Voss know that speed is key to surviving a car accident, which is why they feel the homemade signs are so important.
A pedestrian has a 50 percent chance of surviving if they're hit by a car traveling 30 mph, and that chance of survival soars to 90 percent if the car is going 20 mph. It's statistics like those that have prompted parents to make even more signs.
"One of the very first things we asked was, can we get one of those flashing lights? And the answer? We hope so," Voss said.
Brian Dougherty of the Seattle Department of Transportation said the department has plans to install flashing lights by the end of the school year.
The flashing school zone beacons cost $20,000, and the city waiting on a state grant to pay for them.
"The beacons are much more effective. They provide much more clarity to drivers in terms of when the speed zone is in effect," Dougherty said.
Parents say they are committed to staying outside with their signs day in and day out until they get those beacons installed.
Parent Joelle Craft is thankful that most drivers spot the neon sign she regularly holds outside of Boren Elementary School asking them to slow down in the school zone.
"I started holding signs back in September and they slowed down a lot," she said.
Many families say the signs are the only way they feel they can keep their kids safe getting to and from their West Seattle school, which is located along a busy street.
The city installed school speed zone signs three years ago when high school students moved in, but this year the kids are much younger.
"(The sign) says when children are present, and unfortunately these signs are posted in a place where you won't see the children until it's really too late for you to slow down," said parent Kathleen Voss.
Parents like Craft and Voss know that speed is key to surviving a car accident, which is why they feel the homemade signs are so important.
A pedestrian has a 50 percent chance of surviving if they're hit by a car traveling 30 mph, and that chance of survival soars to 90 percent if the car is going 20 mph. It's statistics like those that have prompted parents to make even more signs.
"One of the very first things we asked was, can we get one of those flashing lights? And the answer? We hope so," Voss said.
Brian Dougherty of the Seattle Department of Transportation said the department has plans to install flashing lights by the end of the school year.
The flashing school zone beacons cost $20,000, and the city waiting on a state grant to pay for them.
"The beacons are much more effective. They provide much more clarity to drivers in terms of when the speed zone is in effect," Dougherty said.
Parents say they are committed to staying outside with their signs day in and day out until they get those beacons installed.
Good community effort. Sadly too many drivers and cyclists need a good whoopin to make them act reposnsibly.
Nice. Seattle can blow $10mil for a stupid bicycle/pedestrian overpass but can't cough up the $20k for safety lights for school zones.
Â
Seattle administration (mayor/council/etc) have their collective heads up their arses.
The statistics also say 100% survival rate if people slow down / pay attention and do not hit anyone.
Â
Every morning I see people who are obsessed with the idea that an extra minute or two on busy streets from frequent speeding lane changes helps... if anything they are more likely to get in a accident and hurt someone all to save 120 seconds of their day... I am sorry but the only time seconds count is when a emergency vehicle is rushing to someone to lend assistance or get them to the hospital...or in Hollywood when the timer on da bomb is ticking down to zero and they have to find the same red wire / blue wire etc. other than that no one time is more important than that!
20K for a flashing light? Explains a lot about how government works, doesn't it? "You don't actually think they spend $20,000 on a hammer, $30,000 on a toilet seat, do you?"
 @dg54321 A quote from Independence Day? There is probably a lot of electrical, programming, testing and installation workers payroll involved in that price.
 @DarkRenegade  @dg54321 I could build and install a sign with flashing lights for under $500.
Treated 4X4X12 post (Dunn Lumber) $25
"School Zone 20 MPH" Sign (Amazon) $25
2ea LED flashing lights (Amazon) $140
12 volt Power Supply (Amazon) $20
Weather tight control box (Grainger) $90
Timer Lowes) $20Â
4 hours labor to plant pole and assemble works $100
Â
Permits and power drop extra.
 @DarkRenegade Even so...$20 k?
 @Glassman Dont forget insurance premiums, inspectors on hand, and probably a couple extra hands to help you. The money will add up.
 @Glassman  @DarkRenegade Only working for $25/hr? Heck I'd charge more than that. But I have a home repair project I could use some help on.......
How about teaching children to walk on the sidewalk and stay out of the street?
How about teaching children to watch for cars?
How about teaching children to look both ways before crossing the street?
How about teaching children ...
 @Rider Amen. I went to school on a very busy road with a speed limit 35 mph and we actually walked along the sidewalk. Go figure.Â
 @Rider Those are good and necessary things, but not always sufficient. I've started to refer to my kids' bus-stop as a brake test-zone because of the number of oblivious people who don't see the giant yell bus with flashing red lights and kids on both sides of the road (one group has to cross) who suddenly realize that they OMG GOTTA STOPP!!! There have been several near accidents and swerving. I especially like it when a commercial vehicle with a "how's my driving?" sticker charges by a bus with lights flashing, only to "pose" for a good picture to be identified and called in.
 @RN1 One thing sticks out here. If the scene is truly that bad the district transportation should be reviewing that stop to provide a stop where the children do not need to cross the road.
 @Rider There are no side-walks around here for the kids to walk on to GET to another, better, spot. The shoulders are narrow. It's in the middle of a blind "S" turn. It's a terrible place. It's also the only spot they CAN put it.
Â
OTOH, it hands us some great learning opportunities from time to time when we explain what happened and why to the kids. "See that near wreck, and the pale, scared face, and the cell phone in their hand?... " Or "hear that? That what ABS sound like, and that's why I always try to keep two seconds behind the person in front of me...." And, of course, "THAT'S why we always say 'look both ways when you cross the street.'"
 @Rider You realize that all those taught these rules as children are now the adults driving the cars?
 @Rider How about teaching mature adults how to drive the speed limit?
Â
How about teaching mature adults how to drive defensively?
Â
How about teaching mature adults how to drive without being distracted?
Â
How about teaching mature adults... Â Oh wait, these are mature adults that have been trained on all of these things above just to get their drivers license and are still failing. So how is teaching children going to make a difference when it is the car that kills? Are you that self centered that you have to blame children in a school zone? Is slowing down for a half mile or so ruining your day?
Â
I am all for teaching children the right way to do things but you fail to realize that children are well children and are not expected to do things right all the time. Are you saying that your immaturity as an adult should be allowed to get you off of speeding (or worse) in a school zone because of the expected maturity levels of children?Â
 @Beam_Me_Up The easiest way to avoid being hit by a vehicle is to not be there. As a motorcycle rider (hence the screen name) I am all too familiar with cager driving habits. They still try to kill me every day.
Â
imho, school zones are a feel good measure that does little to actually address the underlying issues. In some areas (Monroe), school zones are treated as revenue enhancement areas with little to do with increasing safety. Simple measures such as increasing visibility through peds wearing reflective and light colors garments would aid drivers in seeing them in the dark. Simple measure such as crossing at a cross walk rather than playing frogger in traffic helps drivers keep peds safe by expecting them to be there.
Â
You are ultimately responsible for your own personal safety.
Stupid. You have no enforcement and by definition noone has to obey your signs. Per the MUTCD, the USDOT and WSDOT - regulatory signs may be enforced. A regulatory sign must be blank on white and must be approved by local jurisdiction.Â
Â
All you people are doing is creating a distraction, not to mention taking your own safety at risk. I seriously doubt you slow down for every school zone as well.Â
Â
Rather than become a problem as you are, why not become the solution. The city isn't going to install flashing lights until they have the cash. In the mean time why not teach your children how to be proper pedestrians and how to be safe along a roadway.Â
Â
Problem with pedestrians is too many of them don't know how to be safe or legal. Roads were made for cars, not pedestrians. Even if a pedestrian has the right of way, it is worth it to yield to vehicles. A person will lose against a car.Â
Â
Drivers can do their part but pedestrians must do theirs as well. Share the road works both ways.Â
 @seattleemt Even though they are holding up homemade signs, it's in addition to the actual School Speed Zone signs that are already there. They are not asking people to slow down outside designated school zones. And why is it so hard for you to believe that they don't slow down in all school zones? I don't have kids, but I slow down to the "school zone" speed limit each and every time during appropriate hours.
 @tats76  @seattleemt A cop should be stationed there, too, and ticketing those who don't pay attention. You don't mess around when it comes to the lives of others. I don't have kids but I respect the traffic laws because they are there for a reason.
 @SouthofSeattle  @tats76  @seattleemt The problem is that there are not enough cops to post at all the places where people blow by school zones and bus stops. I have to deal with that on a regular basis. I use a camera, get a picture of their place, and email it in for a LEO to give them a wake-up call. You'd be amazed how many people can't see a large yellow buss with flashing red lights, and drive by with a cell-phone, coffee, makeup, or other distraction in their hand. Or, maybe you wouldn't.
A couple of these would be useful especially in this weather.
www.powerflare.com