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Back-to-school safety for students, residents
The Texas Department of Transportation is urging drivers to stay alert and slow down as students head back to school. This comes as hundreds more students compared to last year are expected to head to Hays CISD campuses this year.
HAYS COUNTY, Texas – The Texas Department of Transportation is urging drivers to stay alert and slow down as students head back to school.
This comes as hundreds more students compared to last year are expected to head to Hays CISD campuses this year.
TxDOT on school zones
Big picture view:
“We need to slow down, be patient, and avoid those distractions when going through school zones,” TxDOT Austin district spokesperson Jeff Barker said.
“We know that sometimes traffic patterns can change in school areas. We know sometimes kids may be going to a new school. So even if the traffic pattern is the same, they may not be used to it. The parents might not be used to it, might have new bus drivers, so I think it’s just really important for drivers to pack their patience as we get kids back into the swing of things and into the routine of going to school,” Barker said.
TxDOT reported nearly 700 traffic crashes in school zones and more than 2,000 collisions involving school buses in Texas last year.
“The top contributing factors to crashes in school zones in Texas in 2024 were driver inattention and speeding,” Barker said.
Hays CISD expecting 25,000+ students back
Local perspective:
For Hays CISD campuses, school zones are going to be even busier as the district expects more than 25,000 students this year, which is an increase of more than 600 students compared to last year.
In March 2024, a cement pump truck collided nearly head-on with a Hays CISD school bus, killing a Pre-K student and injuring more than a dozen others.
The Hays CISD school board pushed for seatbelts.
Currently, all Hays CISD regular route buses for students have seatbelts and a voter approved May 2025 bond covers purchasing the last of 22 needed seatbelt-equipped buses to convert the entire fleet.
What you can do:
Barker suggests parents talk with their children about safety before school starts making sure they use designated sidewalks, only cross at crosswalks and intersections, and pay attention to the crossing guard.
The Source: Information in this report comes from reporting/interviews by FOX 7 Austin’s Meredith Aldis.
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