Crime & Safety

GTPD: Be on the Lookout for Student Pedestrians

Gloucester Township schools open Thursday.

With Gloucester Township and Black Horse Pike Regional schools opening on Thursday, Gloucester Township Police issued the following statement regarding students walking to and from school:

All drivers need to recognize the special safety needs of pedestrians, especially those that are children. Young, elderly, disabled and intoxicated pedestrians are the most frequent victims in auto-pedestrian collisions. Generally, pedestrians have the right-of-way at all intersections; however, regardless of the rules of the road or right-of-way, you as a driver are obligated to exercise great care and extreme caution to avoid striking pedestrians.

  • Drivers should not block the crosswalk when stopped at a red light or waiting to make a turn. Do not stop with a portion of your vehicle over the crosswalk. Blocking the crosswalk forces pedestrians to go around your vehicle and puts them in a dangerous situation.
  • In a school zone when a warning flasher or flashers are blinking, you must stop to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a marked crosswalk or at an intersection with no marked crosswalk.
  • Always stop when directed to do so by a designated crossing guard.
  • Children are the least predictable pedestrians and the most difficult to see. Take extra care to look out for children not only in school zones, but also in residential areas, playgrounds and parks.
  • Don’t honk your horn, rev your engine or do anything to rush or scare a pedestrian in front of your car, even if you have the legal right away.

Information provided by www.ncs.org.  

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Increasing Children’s Personal Security While They Walk to School Parents are encouraged to walk with their children to school. This is a great way for families to spend time together and get physical activity at the same time. While this is ideal, it's not always possible. Older children and younger children walking together in groups can also provide a level of protection. Sometimes parents or adult volunteers can take turns walking groups of children from their neighborhood which enhances the safety of the children. Additionally, parents should take a role in teaching their children safety skills for handling various situations including "stranger danger" and sex offenders whether on the route to school or while playing in the neighborhood.


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