Elijah Alvitre
AgE 3; Salinas, CA

How to Honor a Stop Sign

  1. Come to a full and complete stop—wheels completely still.

  2. Look left. Look right. Then look left again to make sure all is clear before proceeding.

  3. Look for pedestrians/bicyclists and wave them through until they are safely across the street before proceeding.

Bus drivers can also utilize  STOP! TAKE 3 TO SEE™ to make sure the coast is totally clear after dropping students off. 

Practice STOP! TAKE 3 TO SEE™ at unsignaled Railroad Crossings as well.

How to Observe a Red Light Traffic Signal When Making a Right Turn (If legal to do so in the state/municipality in which you are driving)

  1. Come to a complete stop.

  2. Look. Make sure no one is in the crosswalk and make sure all cross traffic has cleared the intersection.

  3. Proceed with caution, continuing to be aware of the presence of pedestrians.

How to Observe a Green Light Traffic Signal When Making a Left Turn

  1. Come to a stop.

  2. Look. Make sure no one is in the crosswalk and make sure all oncoming traffic has cleared the intersection.

  3. Proceed with caution making your left turn into the left hand traffic lane (if turing on to a multi-lane street), continuing to be aware of the presence of pedestrians.

For more information about how to begin a STOP! TAKE 3 TO SEE™ campaign in your community,
please call Tom Everson at (402) 334-1391 or e-mail tom@kkad25.org.

How to Cross the Street

  1. Look for the nearest crosswalk if there is one.

  2. Stop at the curb. The then look left, look right, and then look left again to make sure all is clear before proceeding

  3. If a car is present, be sure to make eye contact with the driver and make sure the car stops to let you cross.

Focus on Data: A Study from The National Safe Kids Campaign

The National Safe Kids Campaign issued a study conducted in partnership with FedEx Express on observance of stop signs. In part, findings include:

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  • Of vehicles surveyed, more than a third (37 percent) of motorists rolled through stop signs at intersections and nearly a tenth (7 percent) of motorists did not even slow down before the stop sign.

  • At intersections with marked crosswalks, one quarter (25 percent) of vehicles stopped in or past the crosswalks.

  • When only child pedestrians were present, nearly a third (32 percent) of motorists violated the stop signs.

  • At intersections where pedestrians were crossing, nearly a quarter (24 percent) of drivers did not come to a complete stop.

The report further states that, “Each year, stop sign violations are associated with approximately 200 fatal crashes and 17,000 non-fatal injury crashes. Children are at risk of injury when stop sign and pedestrian right-of-way laws are violated.”