EDITORIAL — Schools reopen soon, so remember to drive safely near them

Whenever a new school year starts, we are reminded by local police departments of the importance of following all posted traffic and parking regulations. And, for whatever the reason, there are entirely too many drivers who believe those regulations apply to everyone in the world — but themselves.

Need proof? Pass by a local school on a cold day when school is about to begin or end. Let us know what you see.

In the interim, we plead with all mums, dads, guardians, babysitters, brothers and sisters, anyone who brings children to school or picks them up on a daily basis, to please give some extra thought as to why these regulations are in place.

The safety of children — and not just your own — is paramount. Double parking, speeding, parking in crosswalks, texting, talking and any number of other violations put everyone around schools in danger unnecessarily.

If you don’t follow the law, prepare to face the consequences. Because you will be summonsed. And you will deserve it.

And pity the people who have to listen to you bemoan the tickets you get when you knew they were coming — and could have totally avoided them — in the first place.

Learn more about the writer ...

Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, a place where he has served on and off since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on Facebook Live, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to West Hudson to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.