LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Students were “walkin’ and rollin’” to school Wednesday morning as part of an international campaign to teach kids how to stay safe on the road.
WATCH| Hailey Gravitt was there as students and parents made the journey to school:
The Walk and Roll to School Day event aims to educate students about the importance of paying attention to their surroundings — a message that hits especially close to home in Clark County.
It comes as the community mourns the loss of two 12-year-old children killed in separate traffic crashes while walking to or from school.
Parents say those tragedies are serving as a wake-up call. Many are now walking side by side with their children, making sure they understand the importance of staying alert.
“I told them, you know, you guys always stay on the sidewalk — just really be cautious,” said Mayra Parez, a mother of two students at Rose Warren Elementary.
Parez also has a message for drivers.
“We are all important to somebody. We all have families. We all matter to somebody. Be cautious — you’ll get there. It’s better to get there late than to not.”
Parents and crossing guards are calling for safer roads near schools, pushing for more awareness and enforcement in school zones.
Melanie Johnson, a crossing guard who helps children navigate busy intersections, says what she sees every day is concerning.
“The speeding and the ignoring of school zones — it’s scary out here,” Johnson said.
While students learned the basics of walking safely to school during Wednesday’s event, organizers say the message goes beyond the classroom.
Keeping students safe, they say, will take the entire community working together — one step at a time.
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