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Crossing guard mom dresses as giant traffic cone to be seen in school zone

Husband takes to social media after wife’s near miss, pleads with drivers to pay attention

Two full-time moms and part-time crossing guards are urging drivers to pay attention in school zones after several near-misses while on duty at Gearld L Wright Elementary School in West Valley.

Mom dressed as traffic cone holding stop sign

With too many drivers distracted and acting aggressively and nearly hitting Whitney Durfee and Diana Sorensen while on crossing guard duty, Whitney’s husband, Justin, took to social media pleading with drivers to be cautious and attentive when dropping off kids. Now, to draw more attention to the issue, Whitney dresses as a giant traffic cone.

Here are three ways to increase safety as a driver in school zones.

  1. Pay Attention to Your Surroundings
    Especially when you drive in the morning and in the late afternoon, watch for children. Those are peak times for kids to walk or bike back and forth to school.
  2. Be Aware of School Zones
    When you’re driving, watch for indications of a school zone. That might look like street signs, flashing lights or crossing guards in the area. Another indication is the types of crosswalks you encounter. If you see a crosswalk with a ladder design, that indicates you are entering or are in a school zone. These crosswalks are specifically used in school zones which mean drivers are not permitted to proceed through it until the pedestrian has completely crossed to the other side.
  3. Put Distractions Away
    Driving requires all of your attention to do it safely. Make sure that phones, passengers or any other potential distractions are not your focus while driving. Drive slow and intentional.

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