Learning the Rules of the Road

Under the kind of drizzly sky notorious for throwing Southern California drivers into a state of chaos, South-Central schoolchildren visited Safe Moves City on Friday--a place where rules are followed and children do not get injured in traffic-related accidents.

Students at Forty-Ninth Street Elementary School were told about the simple things they and their parents can do to make sure a stroll or bicycle ride does not end in tragedy.

Various city agencies were present as the children observed and participated in events meant to heighten their appreciation for safety.

The Safe Moves traffic safety program, largely funded by the city Department of Transportation, tries to make safe walking and bike riding fun for about 45,000 children a month. The traveling program, based in Van Nuys, paid a visit to students at the South Los Angeles school on Friday.

“When I was a kid, they taught us 10 things not to do, and 10 things to do, so we could be safe,” said Pat Hines, founder and executive director of Safe Moves. “Unfortunately, the 10 things to not do were more interesting.”

The children participating in the program Friday walked or rode through the colorful makeshift plywood city, obeying signs and taking common safety precautions--the bike riders always wearing a helmet.

Six-year-old Jose Barragan said he “looked both ways 10 times” when crossing the street, and Rogelio Hernandez, also 6, said he wore a seat belt “because if you wear a seat belt, you will be more OK.”

Jossie Diel, 14, a freshman at Burroughs High School in Burbank, told the children about being saved by a safety helmet after plowing head-first into the sharp corner of a brick wall while riding her bicycle.

The accident left her with a broken nose, wrist and 13 stitches over her left eye. But it could have been far worse.

The Department of Transportation is working with the city to get a pedestrian advisory committee off the ground this month, said Thomas Swire, the transit agency’s assistant general manager.

And Los Angeles Police Capt. Sandy Wasson said the LAPD would work on the traffic enforcement end to make sure drivers do not imperil the lives of pedestrians and bicycle riders. This includes using a computer database to track traffic-related problems in neighborhoods near schools.

The Safe Moves program began in 1984 after the death of Hines’ best friend, Sue Latham. An unknown driver struck Latham, 30, in 1983 as she rode her bike ahead of Hines on Pacific Coast Highway.

After Latham’s death, Hines got letters from people who had or knew children who had been killed in traffic-related accidents.

“L.A. always gets a bad rap about pedestrian safety,” said Hines. “But it’s nice to know we’re taking care of our own.”