Claudia Corchado: Cannella’s bill will make school zones safer

Senator Anthony Cannella introduced Senate Bill 564, legislation sponsored by the Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program and Safe Routes to School National Partnership that would begin to create safer routes to and from schools. SB 564 will add additional fines to school-zone violations, deterring unsafe driving and ultimately preventing more pedestrian injuries and deaths.

Statistics show this type of legislation is desperately needed to help protect school zones. For example, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that California had the nation’s highest fatality rate among child pedestrians aged 4 to 7, and the second-highest rate among child pedestrians age 14 and younger.

SB 564 will discourage unsafe driving. Our hope is that this legislation will pass and will be the beginning of creating school environments that are just as safe and protected as our construction zones.

I am proud to say it received unanimous support from the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee and will advance to the senate floor. We highly encourage Gov. Jerry Brown to help protect our school zones and children by supporting SB 564.

This story was originally published April 30, 2015 at 10:56 AM with the headline "Claudia Corchado: Cannella’s bill will make school zones safer."