Octa's transportation blog

Helping Students and Others Stay Safe, Bright and Visible

It’s that time of year when the days become shorter and the sun begins its descent long before working hours are over. During daylight saving time, many of us travel in low light conditions, no matter what mode of transportation we use. OCTA wants to remind everyone that it’s bright to be seen. When bicycling or walking, being visible to other road users helps to avoid collisions and prevent injuries.

OCTA’s campaign to increase visibility includes hands-on education for elementary school students who walk and bike to school. Last week, OCTA led walking school buses in Santa Ana, Anaheim and Costa Mesa. A walking school bus is a simple concept. Get a group of children together, accompanied by one or more adults, and walk to school safely together.

In addition to the walking school buses, OCTA led assemblies and workshops that focused on educating students on how to be safe when walking to and from school. Other Orange County schools received tools to help kids stay safe, including educational brochures, and supported OCTA’s outreach efforts with safety messages. Some principals even wore high-visibility vests to show how easy it is to be bright.

OCTA also led a bike rodeo at Fairhaven School in Santa Ana in a partnership with the Santa Ana Police Department.  The rodeo educated students on how to be safe when bicycling and presented them with potential hazardous situations in simulated real-life scenarios.  Learn how you can be Bright. Be Safe. Be Seen.