
In Duval County, a new initiative targets the unsettling spike in pedestrian and bicycle accidents involving students. The community-driven safety campaign, "Be Safe. Be Seen." seeks to protect Jacksonville's youths on their journey to and from school. The urgency of this campaign is underscored by a grim statistic: since August 2024, 13 students have been struck by vehicles, with three incidents resulting in fatalities.
Setting out to directly confront this issue, Team Duval, alongside various partners, is stepping in to actively educate and engage the community. The campaign, launched today and running through January 31, includes classroom instruction and public service announcements (PSAs) intended to improve the visibility and safety of young pedestrians and cyclists. As part of the effort, students learn to always use designated crosswalks, make eye contact with drivers, and obey traffic signals.
Practical lessons extend to walking tactics – reminding kids to look left, right, then left again before crossing and to wear bright, reflective clothing in low light conditions. Avoiding distractions such as texting or wearing headphones while crossing the street is another critical point emphasized in the education materials. An email distributed to families includes a Parent Guide designed to reinforce these principles, filling in the gap with additional safety tips and statistics for both drivers and pedestrians.
The campaign's second component features a series of PSA videos produced with community partners for distribution on the district's social media channels. These aim to constantly remind drivers to remain vigilant and avoid distractions that can lead to catastrophes involving children. According to the article published by Duval County Public Schools, the campaign videos feature prominent community figures, including Duval Emergency Preparedness Chief Andre Ayoub and Jacksonville's Mayor Donna Deegan.
Special recognition is given to leaders for their participation in the videos, including Jacksonville's Sheriff T.K. Waters and School Board Members such as Melody Bolduc and Anthony Ricardo. The united front presented by school and city officials underscores the community's commitment to halting the disturbing trend in pedestrian accidents and ensuring Jacksonville can drop its rank as the third deadliest metropolitan area for pedestrians and cyclists in Florida.