School's In and Traffic Police are Out

A federal grant is helping the Darien Police Department control traffic around schools and ensure students’ safety.

September is the last month of the department’s Traffic Education and Enforcement Campaign, a four-month effort to reduce traffic violations, congestion, accidents and aggressive driving in Darien. The start of the campaign targeted the Post Road stretch from Leroy Avenue to Sedgwick Avenue; and now that school’s in session, the traffic division will be paying extra attention to traffic violations in school zones, in an effort to keep students safe.

The campaign began in June, when the Darien Police received a $20,000 hazardous moving grant from the Connecticut Department of Transportation. That money, police say, covers the overtime expenses of having more officers on the road, whose sole responsibility is traffic control.

The Darien Police Department received a similar grant from the CDOT for $12,000 in 2007. Over 500 tickets were issued during the two and a half month traffic enforcement effort, resulting in a 30 percent decrease in accidents for the downtown area. The traffic campaign circa 2009 is even more aggressive; the police have received $20,000 to fund the four-month effort, which coincides with the start of the academic year. Downtown traffic enforcement continues, but police say that during the month of September, extra attention will be focused on controlling school traffic.

Since June, the department has issued 547 traffic violations, and the fines are hefty. Failure to comply with a No Left Turn or a Right Turn Only sign may result in a $75 fine. Pass in a no passing zone, and the fine is over $100. But there’s no price you can pay for a traffic violation that takes a child’s life, said Motor Officer T. Court Isaac of the Darien Police Department’s Traffic Division.

“Everyone thinks I’m Mr. Evil hiding in the bushes. I’m not.” Said Isaac. “Accidents happen, but if you mow a kid down, ‘Sorry’ isn’t gonna cut it.”

Each year when school starts, police see a variety of traffic violations that put children in danger, said Isaac. Last year, Darien Police issued 60 tickets for illegally passing a school bus. Furthermore, many of the elementary schools are located on main roads where traffic tends to be heavy—and fast.

“Holmes School is right on Hoyt. People treat that road like a mini-highway,” said Isaac.

Many Hindley students have to walk on the Post Road alongside rush hour traffic, and anyone who has tried driving by Darien High School at 2:30 p.m. on a weekday has experienced true congestion. 

The traffic around schools is often heavier than usual during the first weeks of class, and motor officers are urging motorists to be especially cautious this month.

“I have zero tolerance when it comes to breaking traffic laws around the local schools,” said Isaac.
 
To avoid accidents around schools, CDOT recently issued a list of safety tips and reminders including:

Reminders for Motorists:

• Slow down. Observe the speed limit in school zones at all times
• Be alert for children walking and biking as you back out of your driveway
• Watch for children on bicycles, especially at intersections
• Stop your car when you see lights flashing on a school bus, and do not start driving until the red lights stop flashing

Safety Tips for Pedestrians:

• Always walk on the sidewalk
• If you have to walk in the road, walk FACING traffic
• Cross only at corners or marked crosswalks
• When possible, walk in groups
• Before crossing the street, STOP and look LEFT, then RIGHT, then LEFT

Safety Tips for Bicyclists:

• Wear a helmet (Officer Isaac rewards helmet-wearing cyclists with free doughnuts!)
• Be sure to have reflectors on your pedals, frame, and wheels.
• Ride on the right, with the traffic
• Never cross a street without looking for cars