Cookeville PD Encouraging School Zone And Crosswalk Safety

The Cookeville Police Department is asking drivers to slow down and pay attention as school zones and student crosswalks return.

Sergeant Joseph Williams said the number one focus by the traffic division is making sure motorists adhere to the reduced speeds.

“People have been driving all summer long normally and are not use to those flashing lights, school traffic and kids crossing the road in front of the road,” Williams said. “So, we just want people to be mindful, slow down, especially when you’re coming up on those school zones and watch out out for any pedestrians.”

Williams said most streets are usually 30 mph, but when school lights are lit, the speed drops to 15 mph. Williams said officers will be enforcing the school zones as well as looking for distracted drivers over the next few weeks.

“We’re going to be out there making contact with drivers that aren’t paying particular attention to those school zones and educating a little bit and making sure everybody is slowing down and keeping our kids and our drivers safe,” Williams said.

Williams said paying attention and not using a cell phone while driving is key. Williams said it can cause a dangerous situation, especially with students adjusting to school and using crosswalks again.

“Distracted driving is a major issue for us,” Williams said. “If you’re looking at your phone, you can’t be looking up and making sure that a child is not crossing the road in front of you at a crosswalk. And sometimes, we have children that for whatever reason aren’t using the crosswalk, so if you are entering the school zone, you need to pay attention to anybody walking in the area.”

Williams said drivers need to work with the school system to ensure a safe start to the school year. Williams said slowing down in a school zone only takes a few seconds out of your day.