Parents Concerned About Traffic Safety Outside York County School

YORK, SC – Some parents at a York County school are worried about traffic safety. They say they can’t see to turn on to the highway outside Jefferson Elementary.

“You might as well close your eyes and pray that your life is gonna be safe today, because you cannot see nothing,” says mom Tracy Harris.

Harris says she’s taking a chance every time she pulls out of Jefferson Elementary with her first grade daughter.

“I’ve about got creamed several times; I’ve gotten stuck in the middle where the next car almost rear ended me trying to get out,” she says.

In the afternoon, traffic backs up along Chester Highway as parents begin to line up.

“You can’t see anything. By the time you get your nose out there, you’re liable to be hit,” says mom Kate Clinton.

Clinton says she’s asked for someone to come out and direct traffic, but has gotten little response.

“If you look, there are no sidewalks here, there aren’t anything. This is a major highway here. tractor-trailers come up here everyday,” she says.

Officials at the York Police Department declined an interview with WCCB, but say they’ve been patrolling the area around the school and haven’t seen any issues they’ve had to get involved with.

“It’s a legitimate concern at any school, especially here at the beginning of the school year,” says York School District One Spokesperson Tim Cooper.

Cooper says he thinks traffic issues will clear up.

“You do have sporadic traffic through there; it’s not a heavily trafficked area,” he says.

But parents like Clinton say the issues go back to last year, and they don’t want to see anyone get hurt.

“15 to 30 minutes isn’t worth their time, is the way we parents are looking at this,” Clinton says.