Bay area schools are celebrating International Walk and Bike to School Day on Wednesday, promoting pedestrian safety and helping to teach kids the best practices for walking to school each day.
In Pinellas County, several students, Pinellas County sheriff’s deputies, and school crossing guards walked to school together, learning valuable safety tips along the way.
Earlier this week, a 15-year-old East Lake High student was struck by a vehicle while walking to school.
According to Safe Kids Worldwide, 500 children are killed each year while walking or biking, and that’s a number Pinellas County School officials say they’re determined to lower.
"We want them to wear their helmet each and every day," said Karen Huzar, assistant principal at East Lake Middle School. "And when they’re walking, we want them to be aware of when they’re crossing."
Huzar says the international event is also a good time to remind drivers in school communities to be aware of their surroundings, too.
"We do have kids coming and going every day, in and out of our campus," she said. "And it would bring the focus back to just slow down and be a little bit more careful when you’re around our school zones everywhere in the county."