Kane County sheriff reminds drivers kids are back in school

It is that time of the year where we look forward to the end of summer and the start of the school year. And with the start of school comes the need to remind drivers to be aware of school buses, school bus stops and children waiting for school buses.

Last year the Kane County Sheriff’s Office fielded countless complaints of reckless driving and speeding near school bus stops in residential neighborhoods and on county roads while children were waiting to go to school. These complaints often came from residents who live in subdivisions near Randall Road and involved drivers in search of a short cut.

This school year, in an aggressive effort to promote safety for schoolchildren, the Kane County Sheriff’s Office will enforce school zone traffic regulations by encouraging drivers to follow the law relative to school buses, and to stay on the main roads and avoid neighborhoods where children are waiting for buses.

Specific areas will be along Crane Road, Burr Road, Route 30 in Big Rock, the Mill Creek subdivision, the Red Gate Ridge subdivision, and the county roads near Kaneland and Burlington Central high schools.

Last year the majority of drivers who were stopped by deputies in these areas were parents who were taking their children to school or driving to work. The question deputies posed to them was, “What if that was your child at that bus stop that you just sped past?”

An added reminder is that cellphone usage in school and construction zones is unlawful.