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"Signs for Life" teaches kids about traffic safety
Posted: 12.17.2012 at 6:17 PM
Rachel Welte

Rachel Welte is the Weekend News Anchor and a General Assignment Reporter.

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 / FOX21: Rachel Welte
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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- There has been an increase in pedestrian deaths this year in Colorado Springs.

According to the C.S.P.D. in 2010 and 2011 four people were killed in auto vs. pedestrian accidents.

Compare that to this year, where so far ten people have been killed in eight different incidents.

A local school safety program is teaching students about traffic safety in an effort to decrease those numbers.

"Signs for Life" was originally developed by a group of city employees with the traffic engineering department.

The staff would open up the city's sign shop to students with physical and developmental disabilities for field trips, where they were taught the importance of key traffic and other safety related signs.

Now, the program has expanded and gone mobile.

"In our department we get all the bad publicity, so we are gathering all this data so we can help kids not to cross through cars," Brian Shevock with the school safety program said.

The "Signs for Life" mobile classroom travels from school to school teaching kids about traffic and safety signs.

Otero Elementary and its 5th grade students participated in the program Monday.

"The bus includes signs, colors and shapes," Shevock said. "The back part of the bus is all hands on, and the kids talk and we interact with each other."

"Stop signs mean you have to stop, and there are these little signs that look like houses but they are not," Alana, a 5th grade student at Otero, said.

In the front of the bus a video shows examples of local street signs, and where they can be found throughout the city.

"We are trying to educate staff and the children, and even parents, the whole school community to safely have kids walks and bike to school," Shevock said.

"I know when there is a red light you have to stop, but sometimes I see people just cross the road even when the sign does not have a walking person on it," Alana said. "So I learned everyone has to do that now."

An important reminder for all pedestrians.

The traffic engineering staff, in partnership with Drive Smart Colorado, used grant money to pay for the bus.

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