EDITORIAL: Ramp up traffic enforcement around school zones

EDITORIAL: Ramp up traffic enforcement around school zones With students returning to people successful aboriginal August, Clark County officials are searching for ways to prevent a repeat of the previous school year, when postevaluation accidents involving children near campuses surged more than 250 percent. A report issued last week by the School Traffic Safety Working Group outlined dozens of potential reforms, some more promising than others. Data from the Clark County School District show there were 427 collisions involving children adjacent to school campuses during the 2025‑26 academic year. That figure rises from 120 incidents recorded the year before. Most of the collisions were minor, yet two students lost their lives in October 2025—one was struck while riding a bicycle, the other died after being hit by a school bus. Part of the increase may stem from more vigorous reporting, but the growing popularity of e‑bikes and e‑scooters has also played a role, especially since roughly half of the accidents last school year involved students using those devices. Additional statistics indicate that students themselves were at fault in many of the crashes. “We person kids, precise young kids, that are connected motorcycles, and their parents mightiness deliberation they’re connected an e‑bike,” said Andrew Bennett, manager of the Clark County Office of Traffic Safety. “It would beryllium adjuvant having clearer definitions of what these devices are.” The working group’s recommendation list runs 75 items long, ranging from basic awareness measures to aspirational goals. Earlier suggestions include pedestrian and bicycle safety education campaigns, replacing missing signage, repainting faded road markings, and granting principals greater authority to address issues unique to their own campuses. Ultimately, the group concludes that heightened enforcement offers the most promising path forward. Even if current statutes governing equipment requirements and e‑scooter use are incomplete or vague, operators of these devices must still obey fundamental traffic laws while on the road. The fact that numerous accidents were caused by students riding such vehicles suggests that too many youths are disregarding existing safety rules. The study therefore advocates a stronger enforcement presence during arrival and dismissal periods. The newly appointed head of the school district police has voiced support for intensifying enforcement and improving coordination with other agencies to that end. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Review‑Journal’s Spencer Levering reports that the district is developing a plan to police school‑zone violations more aggressively within existing budget limits. Tinkering around the edges may yield only marginal benefits. However, ensuring that anyone who engages in unsafe—students on e‑scooters or adults speeding through school zones—faces consequences provides the best chance of curbing the problem.