>> LIVE, GETTING RESULTS, THIS IS NEWS 6 AT 9:00. >> BACK TO SCHOOL MEANS NEW
CLASSROOMS AND NEW FACES FOR
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS.
BUT FOR EVERYONE IT MEANS
SHARING THE ROAD.
>> SCHOOL BUS LANES AND
CARPOOL DROPOFFS AND
CROSSWALKS AND SIDEWALKS, YOU
NAME IT.
STARTING ON MONDAY IT IS GOING
TO BE VERY BUSY IN AND AROUND
THE SCHOOL ZONES.
TO HELP US ALL GET RESULTS AND
STAY SAFE, TRAFFIC EXPERT
TROOPER STEVE JOINS US WITH
SOME SPECIAL GUESTS.
STEVE?
>> THE ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY
TRAFFIC SAFETY TEAM IS URGING
EVERYONE TO USE CAUTION FOR
BACK TO SCHOOL AND RIGHT NOW
IS A GOOD TIME TO TALK
PROTECTION.
THIS IS IMPORTANT IF YOU OR
YOUR CHILD RIDE YOUR BIKE TO
SCHOOL.
JOINING US RIGHT NOW IS
LIEUTENANT KIM MONTEZ, MY OLD
BOSS, ALONG WITH A CERTIFIED
HELMET FITTER WITH THE ORANGE
COUNTY FIRE RESCUE AND
SIX-YEAR-OLD ARIEL GIBSON IS
JOINING US.
GOOD MORNING, GUYS.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> HOW ARE YOU?
DOING GOOD?
AWESOME.
FIRST THING’S FIRST.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE
ORANGE COUNTY TRAFFIC SAFETY
TEAM IS AND WHAT THEY DO.
>> YOU USED TO HEAD UP THE
COMMUNITY TRAFFIC SAFETY
TEAM.
IT IS MADE UP OF ENGINEERS AND
CROSSING GUARDS AND PUBLIC
WORKS PEOPLE.
WE ALL WORK AS A GROUP TO
IDENTIFY THE TRAFFIC SAFETY
PROBLEMS AND GET RESULTS BY
LOOKING AT THE PROBLEMS AND
GOING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND
SOLVING THEM.
>> SO IT IS BASICALLY A TEAM
EFFORT TO ULTIMATELY PREVENT
THINGS FROM HAPPENING ON THE
ROADWAYS.
FELICIA, HOW WOULD YOU GO
ABOUT KNOWING A CHILD’S
HELMETED IS FITTING -- HELMET
IS FITTED PROPERLY IN THE
FIRST PLACE.
>> A LOT OF TIMES WE FIND KIDS
AND IT IS TOO FAR BACK ON THE
HEAD.
MAKE SURE IT IS NO MORE THAN
TWO FINGERS ABOVE THE
EYEBROW.
THAT’S WHERE WE LOOK FIRST.
AND MAKE SURE THE STRAPS HERE
ARE RIGHT BE -- BELOW THE EAR
AND THEY SHOULD FORM A V.
DOWN HERE YOU WANT TO MAKE
SURE YOU CAN GET NO MORE THAN
TWO FINGERS UNDER THE STRAP,
AND IT SHOULD FIT SNUGLY.
SHE SAID EARLIER IT IS TOO
TIGHT, BUT NORMALLY IT IS
BECAUSE WE ARE NOT WEARING IT
TIGHT ENOUGH.
IT SHOULD BE SNUCK.
WHEN YOU ARE SHAKING YOUR
HEAD -- GO AHEAD AND SHAKE
YOUR HEAD.
IF SHOULDN’T WOBBLE.
>> I REMEMBER AS BEING A KID
HERE IN ORLANDO, YOU KNOW,
YOUR HELMET IS UP TOP AND THEN
IT IS ON THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD
AND YOUR FOREHEAD IS SHOWING.
THAT’S NOT THE RIGHT WAY.
>> NOT AT ALL.
>> LIEUTENANT MONTEZ, WHEN IT
COMES TO NOT WEARING YOUR
HELMET, CAN CHILDREN AND
ADULTS BE CITED FOR NOT
WEARING A HELMET?
>> THE LAW REQUIRES ANY CHILD
UNDER THE AGE OF 16 TO
PROPERLY WEAR A HELMET THAT IS
CERTIFIED.
IF YOU ARE NOT WEARING THE
HELMET UNDER THE AGE OF 16 THE
CHILD CAN BE CITED OR THE
PARENT IF THEY ARE ALLOWING A
CHILD TO NOT WEAR THE HELMET.
LAW ENFORCEMENT’S GOAL IS NOT
TO WRITE A TICKET.
WE WILL BE OUT NEXT WEEK AND
IF WE SEE A CHILD THAT IS NOT
WEARING A HELMET WE WILL BE
HANDING THEM A FLIER.
THEY WILL REMIND THEM WHAT THE
LAW IS ALL ABOUT.
WE WANT TO PREVENT THESE
CRASHES.
THE HEAD IS THE MOST
VULNERABLE PART OF YOUR BODY.
>> WHEN IT COMES TO THE
IMPORTANT PART OF PURCHASING
THE HELMET, WHAT SHOULD A
PARENT BE LOOKING FOR WHEN IT
COMES TO BUYING THE HELMET TO
BEGIN WITH.
>> THEY ARE NOT ONE SIZE FITS
ALL.
YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THE
HELMET FITS THE CHILD.
AS THEY ARE GROWING YOU
DEFINITELY WANT TO GET A NEW
ONE.
THEY DO EXPIRE.
THE HELMET NEEDS TO BE A
CERTIFIED HELMET.
YOU NEVER WANT TO BUY A USED
HELMET.
MAKE SURE IT IS IN GOOD
WORKING ORDER.
IF YOU ARE IN A CRASH YOU WANT
TO GET A NEW HELMET AFTER
THAT.
>> JUST LIKE A CARSEAT, YOU
DON’T KNOW WHERE IT CAME FROM
AND YOU WANT TO PROTECT YOUR
CHILD WITH THE RIGHT STUFF.
WHAT SHOULD A CHILD BEWARING
ON THEIR WAY TO SCHOOL,
LIEUTENANT MONTEZ?
>> WE WANT THEM TO BE
VISIBLE.
AS WE GO INTO THE LATER MONTHS
AND THE FALL WE WILL SEE
DARKNESS EARLIER IN THE
MORNING.
BE VISIBLE.
THE BIKE CAN BE VISIBLE WITH
REFLECTERS, THEIR CLOTHING,
THEIR HELMETS.
BEING VISIBLE IS KEY.
>> WHAT ABOUT THE CROSSWALKS?
>> THE CROSSWALKS ARE THE MOST
DANGEROUS PLACES FOR KIDS.
A LOT OF THESE KIDS ARE DOING
THE RIGHT THING.
THEY ARE GOING TO THE
CROSSWALK AT THE RIGHT TIME,
BUT THE DRIVERS ARE NOT DOING
WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE
DOING.
BEFORE YOU MAKE THE RIGHT TURN
AT A RED LIGHT OR
INTERSECTION, LOOK TO THE
RIGHT TO MAKE SURE A CHILD IS
NOT CROSSING.
>> THAT INCLUDES WE WILL HAVE
CROSSING GUARDS OUT IN THE
MORNING.
ON YOUR WAY IF YOU TAKE YOUR
BIKE OUT THERE WAIT FOR THE
CROSSWALK.
THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS SAFETY.
WE DON’T WANT ANYBODY GETTING
HURT.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND ANY OTHER
EXTRA SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR A
CHILD AFTER THEY GET YOU
FITTED FOR THE HELMET?
MAYBE ANY EXTRA PROTECTION?
>> ANYTHING EXTRA YOU CAN ADD,
THE KNEE PADS AND THE ELBOW
PADS, ANYTHING EXTRA HELPS IN
CASE THERE IS A FALL.
THAT CAN BE ADDED TO THE
OVERALL PROTECTION OF THE
CHILD.
>> IF YOU HAD A MESSAGE FOR
THE STUDENTS GETTING READY TO
HEAD TO SCHOOL WHAT WOULD YOU
WANT THEM TO DO COMING UP NEXT
WEEK?
>> I WOULD WANT THEM TO BE
SAFE.
>> THAT’S PERFECT.