School Safety Education Program


An education program focused on reducing child pedestrian - and bicycle-related injuries and fatalities in San José through interactive safety presentations at elementary and middle schools. This program operates as a component of the City of San San José Street Smarts program, developed by the Department of Transportation.

All too often, children are subjected to speeding cars, congestion, double-parking and blocked crosswalks, creating a consistently chaotic environment around schools. The City's safety education program teaches behaviors that will help keep kids safe, beginning at an early age, in this type of environment.

This program focuses on educating children ages 5-15 years, on proper pedestrian and bicyclist safety measures through an interactive presentation at elementary and middle schools throughout San José. Our goal is to make children and adults aware of bad driver and pedestrian behaviors to improve safety for children. As children participate in this interactive program, they will be more conscious of traffic concerns in and around school areas. Following the conclusion of each interactive presentation, children receive a safety information handout to review with parents and siblings. Through this interactive presentation, children are taught important pedestrian and bicyclist behaviors such as:

     Play it safe - Use the crosswalk.
     Stop. Look left, right, left, front and back before crossing the street.
     Make eye contact with drivers before crossing the Street.
     If you ride a bike, WEAR A HELMET.

In addition to school presentations, this program expands by conducting bicycle rodeos, helmet giveaways and helmet inspections at schools and community events. Bicycle rodeos allow children to participate in an interactive safety presentation and also provides opportunities for community volunteers to participate at bike rodeo events. Help up to make San José's children street smart!

How do I schedule a safety presentation or bike rodeo?

If you would like more information about this program, or are interested in hosting an interactive safety presentation or bike rodeo for children ages 5-15 years, contact veronica Posada, School Safety Education Coordinator at (408) 975-3296 or by email at veronica.posada@sanJoséca.gov.

Parent Traffic Safety Education Seminars

Resources for Schools:
     Banners - school safety banner
     Classroom posters - pedestrian safety
     Classroom kits
     "It's Up to You to Cross Alive" - video, grades K-3
These resources are available at no charge from the City of San José by calling (408) 975-3238 or by email at info@GetStreetSmarts.org.

Why they are important partners to - kids safety!
Children are among our most vulnerable community members, especially when they are walking too close to moving traffic. And yet traffic near our schools is a nightmare. Many parents double-park to drop-off their children, creating hazards for other children who are walking in the vicinity. Not only is double-parking against the law, but it creates a significant safety hazard for other drivers, including school bus drivers, and raising frustration levels of other drivers behind them. So, the next time you want to double-park "just for a minute" in a school zone - don't. The safety of our children is jeopardized when you do this. More children are killed locally in traffic accidents than by all other type of accidents combined.

Walk-A-Block
To improve safety around our schools - PLEASE - park a block away and walk your child to school. This not only eliminates your stress in dealing with traffic congestion, but it allows you to spend a few quality moments with your child as you participate in a healthy activity - walking together. According to the California Department of Health Services, walking to school helps to better prepare children for schoolwork, by raising metabolsim and cardio rates (www.dhs.ca.gov). If you walk-a-block you may also save time by avoiding the school congestion. Please park respectfully in neighborhoods around schools (www.walktoschool-usa.org).

To be Street Smart avoid these behaviors in school zones!
     Speeding - the law says 25MPH in school zones when children are present.
     If you see kids Slow Down!
     Double-parking
     Blocking crosswalks

Why they are important partners - kids safety!
Our pilot schools were the first to utilize the Street Smarts education tools:.

Street Smarts Classroom Kit
School Banners - Available at no charge to all San José public elementary and middle schools. (Also available in spanish and Vietnamese.)
Classroom posters
Back-to-School safety flyer
List of San José pilot schools
Traffic safet, bicycle and/or pedestrian rodeos
AAA video: It's Up to You to Cross Alive

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