Drivers must follow
rules of the road

Fortunately, our family lives close enough that we are able to walk to Komarek School in North Riverside each day.

I am thankful that I do not have to get involved in the driving congestion of the traffic as parents drop off or pick up their children.

However, because of this fact, I am much more aware of the fact drivers are not heeding to pedestrians.

I know that as the weather changes and we face rain, snow and ice, these issues will only be magnified.

As a parent, we teach our children to stop, look and listen, and to cross at the crosswalks.
In taking our Rules of the Road tests, we learned that the vehicles must yield to pedestrians.

While the North Riverside Police Department generally has a great presence at drop-off/pickup times, there is only one officer there who cannot possibly do it all.

So I am pleading with the parents/guardians who are driving to and from school: Do not block the crosswalks; instead of backing up into the crosswalks trying to get around the car in front of you, wait until the car moves; do not park where it is illegal (e.g., blocking resident driveways, yellow no parking zones, etc.); and yield to the pedestrians.

Whenever one is driving, please take safety into mind when behind that wheel, especially knowing that there are so many pedestrians, especially children around the schools.

Rules of the road and common courtesy go a long way, if only we remember to follow them.

Amy Beggs, North Riverside