MARIETTA, Ga. — With the start of the new year around the corner, Marietta city police and school leaders are reminding drivers about with whom they will be sharing the road.
The calm that summer brings to traffic is coming to an end.
“The roads will have more buses, they’ll have more kids. They’ll have parents trying to drop children off,” Chuck McPhilamy with Marietta Police Department told Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell.
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“For drivers, our ask is to be careful, be cautious,” Christopher Fiore with Marietta City School District said. “I think the important part is they have to slow down in school zones and around school buses.”
Marietta City School District leaders and police want drivers to begin thinking ahead of what’s to come.
“If I know my normal route is to and from work - my commute. Is there a way I can go around those school zones and avoid some of that traffic?” McPhilamy asked.
Police want you to know that they’ll be ramping up patrols in and near school zones for at least the first two weeks of school.
They want drivers to know the rules and avoid common distractions.
“How many times have we seen this as we are walking?” McPhilamy said while holding up a cell phone. “Well now imagine a child doing that while they are to and from the bus stop.”
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If Marietta City Police catch you going 11 to 14 miles over the speed limit in an active school zone, you can expect a nearly $200 ticket.
15 to 20 miles over the limit gets you a $250 ticket.
Before Marietta City School District school bus drivers even hit the road, students will be reminded of what they should do.
“We’re educating our kids about the danger zones and staying 10 feet out front of the stop arms in the side,” Fiore said. “We are trying to make sure that everybody knows that they all have a part to play in keeping folks safe.”
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