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Austin School Crossing Guard Marks 30 Years Keeping Children Safe


Parents and students at Casis Elementary love Clairlea Eckert.  She greets them by name as she helps them cross the street in front of Casis Elementary School in West Austin.  This week Clairlea marks 30 years as a school crossing guard at the school; the same school she attended as a child. 

And it hasn't been easy keeping the streets safe.  In recent years drivers have become more distracted by their cell phones despite a statewide ban on cell phone use in school zones. 

Clairlea says, They're not focusing on me so they're not paying attention to the road and that's where I have a lot of issues with." 

A recent survey by Safe Kids USA finds one in six drivers is distracted while they drive through a school zone.  Texting and other cell phone use tops the list of distractions.  Then there's the problem of drivers speeding through school zones. 

Clairlea urges drivers, Give yourself an extra 10 or 15 minutes to get out of the house.  Then you won't be so flustered."

To join Clairlea in keeping our children safe, join our effort to make our streets a No Text Zone. To take the pledge, go to http://www.keyetv.com/news/features/ntz/?wap=0&/.

By Fred Cantu