To the Editor:

I am a resident in Durham, which is a wonderful, quiet town with a great school system. This year, my 5-year-old daughter started kindergarten at the Durham Community School, an exciting year for our family and for my daughter.

It has only been a week since school started and we are astonished at how reckless motorists are on the roads during school bus pickup and dropoff times.

We live on one of the busy roads in Durham, the speed limit is only 35 mph but people tend to think its a lot higher. Every day, as we wait for the bus, whether it in the afternoon or morning, motorists are consistently speeding on this road, failing to be cautious and just plain being idiotic.

There is a speed limit for a reason, and in a town where there is no police station of our own, we have to count on the sheriff or state troopers to patrol. But they are limited, as well. So we need to work as a community and state to make sure our children are safe.

I am thankful that not all motorists lack the intelligence to be a little more cautious to slow down if there are children or parents in their driveways, at a bus stop, walking down the road or biking.

Drivers need to slow down — all over the state. A big bright yellow school bus with flashing lights is hard to miss; don’t pass them. If you see them on the roads, assume it is going to be picking up or dropping off children. If you see children waiting for the bus, assume it’s around the corner.

Common sense and a little school bus safety is all that is needed here.

Laura Stitham
Durham