Monday is the First Day of School

You're liable to see a flurry of activity around Reno area parks, movie houses, and other recreation areas this weekend as children get in a last fling during the last couple of days of summer vacation. For high schools and most elementary schools in the Washoe County School District, Monday, August 31 is the first day of classes for the 2009 - 2010 school year.

It gets said every year, but it bears repeating every year - be extra careful when driving around school zones and residential neighborhoods. Hordes of squirrelly kids will be on the sidewalks and in the crosswalks. We all know they don't pay real good attention to traffic, so it's up to us drivers to slow down and watch out for them. You want to talk or text, find a safe place to pull over and stop.

Speaking of slowing down, don't forget to stay alert for those flashing yellow lights in school zones. If you are new to driving in Reno, they require you to back it off to 15 mph until you see the sign indicating the end of the zone. It's easy to blow right by these, especially after a summer of not thinking about it. I've driven around Reno for years and I still have to remind myself to pay attention to these bright safety indicators.

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