‘Class Dismissed’ and Car Chaos Don’t Mix

As a parent of two small children, I was truly saddened by the death of the two young girls in Anaheim struck by a car in front of their elementary school (March 13). This could have been my son’s school. Every morning I witness dangerous situations between cars and children that have the potential for the same tragedy.

I regularly see parents double-parking and dropping off their children in the middle of the street to cross, cars running through stop signs and crosswalks being completely disregarded. I have brought these issues up to the principal several times and have yet to see any resolution. It’s time that school officials become more proactive to assure the safety of our children and work with local officials to resolve this problem. Without immediate action, it is not a question of if more children will be hurt or killed, it is a question of when.

Yvonne Karukas

Granada Hills

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I am a parent of school-age children who is increasingly concerned about my children’s safety at our public schools. When we drop off or pick up our children there are hundreds of parents doing the same thing. Usually we fight for the few spots that are available; some parents double-park or let their children run between cars.

Something has to be done before more children are injured. I have repeatedly suggested a simple solution: Tiering the school beginning and ending times. Grades K-3: start at 8 a.m., end at 2 p.m. Grades 4-6: start at 8:15 a.m., end at 2:15 p.m.

Spend a few hours at a local elementary school at the dismissal bell and you would be shocked at the seriousness of this problem. Please, no more children dying for just attending classes at our public schools. We have got to act!

Pamela Glasell

Cerritos

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Six hundred seventy-five children dead, 20,000 injured nationally in pedestrian incidents each year (March 14). Many of these accidents happen when kids are going to and from schools. Please, let’s look at these sad facts and do something effective to stop these deaths and injuries.

One suggestion I have is to train and assign parking police to each school. Use them as crossing guards during pick-up and drop-off times. Allow them to ticket the parents double-parked dropping off kids. Their presence in uniform would probably remind drivers not to speed through school zones. Most communities have parking enforcement police working right in the neighborhood. Would this help save lives? Help law enforcement’s public image? I think so.

Rudolfo Pagliaccio

Los Angeles