Police to step up school-area traffic checks throughout September

Latvia’s State Police will intensify traffic safety checks near schools and vocational schools throughout September, LSM reported, as officers monitor whether drivers, pedestrians and students follow safety rules.

Police said the first two school days of this academic year had been calmer than the same period last year. Officers in the western Vidzeme region assessed the start of the school year positively, while reminding students and parents about basic safety requirements.

Police urged parents to discuss road safety with their children. Officers also reminded cyclists under 16 to wear protective helmets and hold the required licence. Older students were warned not to smoke, drink alcohol or use prohibited substances.

When Latvian Television accompanied a police patrol, traffic near schools was still relatively light. Officers said this was likely to change as schools moved to full timetables and resumed extracurricular activities, bringing heavier morning traffic and congestion.

Police advised drivers to allow extra time for their journeys and show consideration to other road users. Pedestrians were told to cross only at designated places, such as pedestrian crossings or traffic lights, rather than running across the carriageway.

Preventive patrols and checks near schools will continue throughout September, focusing on the behaviour of drivers, pedestrians and students. Police said people’s knowledge of safe road behaviour was generally improving, although violations remained inevitable. The key question, officers said, was whether people used that knowledge before an incident or acknowledged it only afterwards.