At 3:10 PM on December 9, 2024, a fatal crash signaled a nightmare we had feared for a long time in Lake Highlands schools' zones. With Moss Haven and Skyview Elementary Schools (each less than half a mile from the crash site) just releasing their young students, the catastrophe could have been much worse. Forest Meadow Middle School's crosswalks are one-tenth of a mile away (roughly 530 feet) from the fatal crash site; but fortunately school had not yet been released. As a mother of two Skyview Elementary students, with friends whose children attend several local RISD schools in the area, I have lost sleep about the "what ifs" related to this wreck and several other serious and fatal wrecks in our area. I know I am not alone.

This stark incident puts a spotlight on years of increasing reckless driving* around our schools and neighborhoods in Lake Highlands (ZIP: 75243, 75231, and 75238). Our children's safety is paramount and unfortunately, due to the number of wrecks occurring near (and sometimes in) our yards, there is legitimate danger for children not only walking to and from school, but also for those being driven by parents and caregivers. 

To address these risks, we respectfully urge the City of Dallas to take the immediate following steps:

1. Conduct a Comprehensive Traffic Study: Assess driving patterns and risks at high-traffic intersections, particularly around school start and dismissal hours.
2. Increase Police Presence and Engagement: (a) Deploy officers to enforce traffic laws and monitor these high-risk intersections, especially near schools at start and dismissal times. (b) Evaluate officers' barriers to intervening with reckless driving when it happens to ensure appropriate solutions are provided. Too many of us have stories of drivers running red lights at excessive speeds while a DPD officer is nearby. There have to be systemic reasons why this occurs at the regularity it does.
3. Install Traffic-Calming Measures: Implement speed bumps, additional flashing school zone lights, roundabouts, and pedestrian safety enhancements near schools and heavily trafficked streets. Our particular concerns are school zones, and straight aways on Abrams, Royal, and Skillman, where dangerous driving seems to be escalating. 
4. Raise Public Awareness: Educate residents about the dangers of reckless driving - particularly excessive speeding, red light running, distracted driving - and what to do during hit-and-runs.

Our community remains deeply committed to ensuring the safety of its residents, particularly our children. Immediate action is necessary to prevent further tragedies and enhance safety in Lake Highlands.

This incident on December 9, 2024, should serve as an unpleasant reminder of how crucial these changes are and the lives they can save.

The families of Lake Highlands plea with the Dallas City Council and Dallas Police Department to act now before another preventable tragedy strikes our children and our community.

Sign this petition to stand for the safety of our families. 

*Significant data exists to substantiate these concerns - much of which is publicly accessible on www.txdot.gov and www.dallasopendata.com