Now that the school year is in full swing, law enforcement is encouraging residents to drive safely near school zones.

Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante explains that he knows how busy schools get because he has to drop off his own children. Because of that, he shares the same frustration as other people in the parent-pickup and drop-off lines, but he emphasizes that drivers need to be patient. Infante details that in addition to dropping children off, people will need to watch for others that may be crossing the street, or riding bikes and scooters, as kids don’t always pay attention.

“These kids are fearless. They don’t look both ways like you and I do. We’re trained how to drive, they’re not, they enter intersections (and) you have to be really careful. I wouldn’t want anybody to have to live with the guilt of having hit somebody. So just plan for extra time, get there early or go a different way if you’re not dropping a kid off. I plan my route around the schools and I think that’s probably a good move for everybody, and if it costs you a couple extra minutes, oh well. At least you don’t run the risk of hitting somebody on the way to or from school.”

Infante states that people need to obey the speed zone around schools, because they account for the most common traffic-related accidents this time of year.