It Is Possible to Protect Students from Vehicles

Re “Schools Are Rethinking Traffic Safety,” March 14:

Congratulations to Ron LaMotte, principal of Top of the World Elementary School in Laguna Beach. His efforts to keep students safe from vehicles must be applauded.

However, in the wake of the Anaheim school tragedy that left two young girls dead, a quote by Sandy Fiddler, a transportation analyst for the Orange County Department of Education, is troubling. While discussing school safety plans, she states, “It may turn out there is nothing anyone can do.”

Of course there are things to do, and they must be done immediately.

* Move the vehicles far from where kids wait.

* Put up heavy fences.

* Install concrete medians.

* Employ many more qualified and capable adult monitors.

* Insist on having just one exit and one entrance at schools.

Please designate LaMotte as chairman of the safety committee that should have been formed yesterday. We simply cannot stand another Eagle Rock or Anaheim incident.

John R. Kelsey

Elementary education supervisor,

Cal State Fullerton

Laguna Niguel

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Re “2 Girls Killed When Car Jumps Curb at O.C. School,” March 13:

Along with so many other readers, I felt the pain of the parents and siblings of the two children killed while waiting to be picked up from grade school. You could feel the reporters’ frustration as they wrote about the major traffic problems at so many of our grade schools. Adding to that frustration is the attitude of school administrators who feel that nothing can be done, what with overcrowded schools and limited budgets.

Educators are not traffic experts. Where are the police and fire departments? Where are the traffic experts who tell us what needs to be done to improve the flow of traffic on the 405? Why can’t the same people make recommendations to improve traffic safety at our schools?

John Laguna

Mission Viejo