NORTH PORT, Fla. — Drivers now have to wait at a red light when students cross the street between North Port High School and Heron Creek Middle School.
North Port Police said it's made a positive difference in the community.
"It's actually made the area much safer," said North Port Police Officer Chris Clark. "We do have a lot of children that come out to meet their family, to go pick up their vehicle, and they do have to cross a very busy intersection, a busy road. Now that the light has been put in and the drivers must stop for the red light, a lot of children are getting across the street in a safer manner."
You can watch FOX 4's Victoria Scott's full report on school zone safety here:
NPPD said the light went into effect at the start of the school year.
Parents told North Port Community Correspondent Victoria Scott the first week back to school took a little getting used to during drop off and pick up.
However, they told her they're happy with the end result.
"I don't see as many people cutting people off, speeding," said parent Lacey Smith. "It's much more controlled. There are no rogue cars doing 40 when they're supposed to be doing 20."
Smith also said the traffic light plays an important role when it gets dark.
"It is hard to see the kids," she said. "They're not dressed to be seen in the dark. They're dressed to go to school. So many times, I've seen people blow through the crosswalk when there wasn't a light because they just didn't see kids."
Police said they just want to keep kids safe in and out of the classroom.
"We ensure they're safe whether they're in school, out of school, in our community, anything like that," Clark said. "So, this was a big win for us."
