LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — On Monday morning, students will be returning to the classroom and Las Vegas roadways will look a lot different with school buses and kids in the streets.
Metro police and CCSDPD will be out in full force for the first week of school with a larger-than-usual presence. Drivers should also plan ahead since the roads will be busier with 1,500 CCSD school buses on route.
“We are expecting to have over 30,000 students coming in on Monday including the 40,000 employees that work for the school district,” Sgt. Juan Wibowo said.
The past week, Zero Fatalities, a program set up by the Nevada Department of Transportation to promote traffic safety, held an event to get the word out ahead of the big day.
“Parents please be patient when you are around the schools. Learn your school’s traffic patterns too. There is a lot of double parking out there and that can cause road rage situations,” Southern Nevada Director of Zero Fatalities, Keith Habig said.
“Anyone who has driven through a school zone while school is in session has seen the issues we’ve had in those areas. Not only the double parking but the speeding and U-turns, the passing, these laws are in place to protect our children,” Traffic Lieutenant, Bret Ficklin.
As for parents, they say while they are ready for their kids to head back to the classroom, entrusting others to protect them while at school can be tough.
“It’s crazy out there. A lot of people can’t drive so making sure the teachers and the crossing guards are doing their jobs,” TK White said.
According to the Office of traffic safety, fatal comparisons show that numbers are down from the previous year along with crashes in Clark County.
