SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO’S MARCH 2025 SAFETY & SECURITY TIP: SPRING BREAK SAFETY
The term, “Spring Break,” conjures images of young adults crowding our beaches and bars, late night gatherings and volleyball in the sand.
We must remember, however, that our county’s school-aged children are also on break…the week of March 17th in Lee County and the prior week, March 10 through 14, in Collier County.
This respite from school comes with additional responsibilities on the part of parents, guardians and motorists.
Children running, chasing one another and, well, just being children create additional concerns for drivers. When operating a car or truck in a residential area, it is incumbent upon drivers to anticipate unexpected behaviors from children playing outdoors.
It is not uncommon for kids to rush out into the roadway…sometimes from between parked cars…and, often, they are too small to be seen. Many neighborhoods lack sidewalks prompting children to play in the roadway.
Scooters, e-bikes and skateboards have become extremely popular…some of these being motorized…and we see youngsters zipping about in every and any direction.
Drivers are, sadly, distracted by cellular calls, vehicle screens and text messages and these distractions put pedestrians at increased risk.
From a parental/supervisory standpoint, it is prudent to take a few moments, prior to spring break and prior to summer vacation, to remind children of the dangers that they face when playing outdoors.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office asks all adults…parents, guardians and motorists…to exercise caution, to openly discuss outdoor safety and to work to make Spring Break safe and wonderful.