Look left. Look right. Look again. Flags out. That means stop!

Back to school means increased traffic, and school administrators and law enforcement officers remind motorists to drive with care and with extra caution near schools.

Motorists sometimes get comfortable in their daily drives and don’t always realize how fast they are traveling. Although there’s a warning light at the school crossing at the intersection of Central Street and Burns Avenue, it’s a very busy crossing that is cause for concern for the safety of pedestrians.  

Motorists coming off Highway 14 cruise down Central Street, often gaining speed on the downhill coast, and sometimes lose sense of where they are.  At this time of the year the morning sun is low and causes a blinding effect to eastbound motorists. The setting sun late in the day creates challenges for westbound motorists.  At times it’s difficult for motorists to see pedestrians crossing in the shadows under the umbrella of trees that line the street. 

The new, larger parking lot on the east side of Springfield Public Schools has increased traffic at the Central Street and Burns Avenue crossing. Central Street is a busy thoroughfare, but extremely so before school and after school. 

 The School Safety Patrol is on duty at the crossings before and after school. The school patrol is composed of sixth-graders and led by teachers James Eckstein and Denise Hauger who help set up teams, train, coach and guide them through the process. The School Patrol has a very important job and they take their job seriously. The School Patrol is there to prevent any accidents in the crosswalk area.  But it is everyone’s job to help ensure safety for school children.