School opens this week, and when it does, there will be several more cars on the road and several more students going to and from school.

During school hours — and especially around the times when school begins and ends — around 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. — please be extra careful in traffic, especially around our schools.

Most of our schools have very little room to handle the amount of traffic dropping off and picking up students requires. Because of that, drivers need to exercise more caution and be more patient while waiting for their turn to drop off their students or pick them up.

In school areas, even if you have no students, use caution, especially at those dropoff and pick-up times when traffic is coming and going to the schools on the side streets.

Students, too, need to know to be careful when walking between cars and around the dropoff and pick-up areas. Many times, cars cannot see the students who are walking to and from their cars. Students need to be the ones to watch out for cars as they make their way into and out of the schools.

It is simple to avoid a tragedy on the streets when school is in, but it will take an extra effort from drivers and the students themselves. Use extra caution, be alert and use patience going to and from the schools.