Dear Reader,

Hang on because you’re in for a bumpy ride with today’s blog.  I recently came across two separate articles that had my blood boiling. The first was about how literally thousands of Fairfax drivers had been caught on camera going over ten miles an hour in school zones during the last months of the school year.  The second was a discussion about how Fairfax County schools are about to add stop-arm cameras to their bus fleet in an effort to keep drivers from illegally passing school buses stopped on route to pick up or drop off students.   (See Links Below for the full articles)

I read this and all I could think is, you’re kidding me right?

I mean, who does this?

Who is in such a hurry that they’re willing to risk hitting a child rushing to catch a school bus?

What could be so pressing in someone’s life that they’re willing to risk ending a second graders life before they can safely make it to school that day?

The answer, there’s nothing so pressing, so urgent, or so necessary that it should keep you from being a responsible driver and a decent human being.

I am a proud grandfather of a little girl who just may be the cutest child on the planet.  She loves to learn and looks forward to going to school.  The truth is, even though kids complain, most love to learn, and love going to school.  They deserve to get there safely and not have to worry about reckless drivers ignoring the laws and putting their lives in danger.

I am pleased with our Fairfax County schools and our county for installing these speed photo enforcement cameras on our roads and on our children’s buses, but it saddens me that this is necessary.   Slowing down for children is just the right thing to do and it shouldn’t take the threat of an expensive ticket to enforce this rightness in your own head.

If you are a safe driver who never speeds in school zones and wouldn’t dream of passing a stopped school bus. I thank you for hanging in here during this rant and more importantly I thank you for your diligent good driving habits.

If on the other hand, you find yourself reading this with furtive eyes, knowing you’re guilty of, shall we say less than ideal driving habits around schools and our communities’ kids, Stop it.  Make a commitment to yourself and to the rest of us that starting today you will resolve to be a better driver.  Starting today you will never risk ending the life of an innocent child because you were in a hurry or couldn’t resist checking a text message.

SLOW DOWN IN SCHOOL ZONES.

DO NOT PASS STOPPED SCHOOL BUSSES.

Pay attention to the road, keep your hands on the wheel and your mind on the road.

Do this all the time, but please, do it double time in school zones.

Lastly, if a child you love is ever injured or killed by a bad driver call my office.  I will fight to see the guilty party held responsible for what they’ve done.

Until next time, please be safe, and NEVER text while driving!

Paul Samakow

Attorney Paul Samakow

703-761-4343 or 301-949-1515

 

 Fairfax Co. schools inching closer to adding stop-arm cameras to bus fleet

By Scott Gelman

https://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2023/06/fairfax-co-schools-inching-closer-to-adding-stop-arm-cameras-to-bus-fleet/?fbclid=IwAR1WGRStu2iLoz5IEJMWdti_9Pgtx_8FtZBufBtkxuoAO-NoCHjGLMBMCRA

Cameras catch thousands of speeders near Fairfax Co. school zones

By Scott Gelman

https://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2023/07/cameras-catch-thousands-of-speeders-near-fairfax-co-school-zones/?fbclid=IwAR0N2BGvrZi5K_8qOTE83WqvcBlrwm88WW_-pE0Mhy-ySOMR518noItyQV0