Parents concerned about safety at intersection near JC school

Some parents of students at West Elementary School in Jefferson City say they’re concerned about safety.

They say drivers in the area speed and run stop signs at the West Main Street and Dix Road intersection.

“Pretty much every day is a life or death situation,” said Jessica King, a concerned parent. “I try to walk across the walkway and it’s very dangerous.”

King uses a pedestrian crosswalk in the area every day to pick up her children from the elementary school.

“People are running four way stop signs and endangering everyone who either brings their children to school or drops or picks them up after school,” King said.

ABC 17 News put it to the test. Using a radar gun, ABC 17 News clocked everyone driving through the school zone between 3:00 and 3:30 p.m., when school lets out. No speeders were caught.

The highest speed clocked was 22 miles per hour, only two over the speed limit.

Police also told ABC 17 News they use radar in this area regularly, as they do all school zones.

But King said she wants to see more.

“I think that drivers need to be more attentive and cautious when they’re driving within a school zone and I also think that more police enforcement throughout the school year would definitely curb a lot of these violations,” she said.

ABC 17 News saw two officers patrolling the area in the 30 minutes spent there.

But ABC 17 News caught drivers failing to stop at the West Main Street and Dix Road four-way stop on camera.

A volunteer crossing guard told said they always have at least three people keeping an eye on the intersection because he feels one set of eyes is not enough.

King and some other parents said they feel the same way.

“I think there should be more respect given to pedestrians, especially in the middle of a school zone,” King said. “You know, our number one priority should be safety of everyone.”