Murrieta students are walking and biking to class Wednesday, Oct. 7, as campuses across the district join National Walk & Roll to School Day.
Rail Ranch Elementary is among the Murrieta Valley Unified School District campuses taking part, with the school's PTA sponsoring the event, Patch reported. The district has not specified how many of its 21 schools are participating.
The annual observance, which started in 1997, encourages families to walk, bike, scooter or skateboard to campus. It now involves thousands of schools across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
Law enforcement agencies across Riverside County are asking drivers to slow down near schools, crosswalks, sidewalks and bike lanes on Oct. 7 because of the higher number of children on the road.
"It also reinforces the need for drivers to slow down, stay alert and look out for children using crosswalks, sidewalks and bike lanes to get to school," Riverside Police Sgt. Dan Macias said. "Every safe choice helps protect students who rely on these routes every day."
Macias is with Riverside Police. No statement from Murrieta police was available as of publication.
Drivers should be prepared to stop for children in crosswalks and for school buses and should reduce speed in school zones, according to police.
The event's national organizers at WalkBikeToSchool.org offered safety tips for students heading to school on foot or wheels:
- Wear a properly fitted helmet when biking or using wheeled transportation.
- Look left, right and left again before entering the roadway, and make eye contact with drivers before crossing.
- Wear bright clothing during daylight and reflective materials when dark.
- Stay alert and avoid phones, headphones or other electronic devices.
Several other Riverside County districts, including Temecula Valley Unified and Lake Elsinore Unified, are also holding walk-to-school events on Oct. 7.
Schools that missed the Oct. 7 date can still register at WalkBikeToSchool.org and hold their event on another day in October.
