Authorities remind you about driving safe around schools

MASON CITY — We’re a couple of weeks into the 2024-25 school year, but local law enforcement is still encouraging drivers to be aware of children in and around the schools.

Mason City police chief Jeff Brinkley says you need to remember to drive slowly around those school zones.  “Those pre-and-post school hours around the schools. I think we get a little lazy in the summer I think just because kids aren’t there. Those warning beacons, engineering has those working now, so when there are those restricted speed limits around the schools, I think of 122 around the high school and John Adams and those kind of things, make sure you’re paying attention to those, be cognizant of those.”

Brinkley says the hustle and bustle of getting kids to and from school can also be a cause behind accidents.  “The stop-and-go of what happens around a school. When parents drop a kid off, especially if they are late, you know the little ones will jump out, they don’t look across the street both ways because they just aren’t there yet in their age, but it’s haste to get there. You know we’ve been really fortunate that the year has started off strong and we want to keep it that way, but just be mindful, think for them, give yourself a little extra room to slow down in those spaces and let’s not have a tragedy.”