One of the more comfortable and accommodating ways to get to school is by car, whether you are driving yourself or being driven. Recently, parking lot traffic has gotten out of hand and students who depend on this method are beginning to see the consequences. 

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Not only does arriving to school by car allow for students to wake up later, therefore allowing them to get out of bed more energized and ready for school,  it also provides a safer way for kids to get to school, without compromising their health and risking getting sick from exposure in school-provided buses. 

Although this is a problem that affects everyone, suggesting that there is an easy solution is nonsense. Those who believe that there is an easy fix to this situation may bring up the fact that although it is nice to get an extra 10 to 15 minutes of sleep every morning, students should adapt and plan out when to rest, when to do homework, eat and then properly plan their sleep schedule based off of this situation. Limiting how many children take the car to school or organizing groups of students who carpool to school based on location would bring almost immediate relief to the issue at hand, but because of Covid-19 people have become more dependent on themselves and stray away from any extra contact with people who are not important to their everyday lives. 

Time management is a different story. It shows the blissful ignorance of people who don’t realize how difficult it is for kids to manage homework for nearly every class, study for upcoming tests and work while still getting at least, a 20-minute break to recuperate from school. That does not even mention getting home from school and doing any other household chores like cooking and babysitting. 

It is easy to look at a situation like this and immediately focus on all of the bad parts, and although a solution isn’t easy, there are steps that schools and families can take to prevent any current or worsening traffic. One simple action that can be taken is more clearly designating a pick up and drop off zone for students and parents and allowing a crosswalk guard to monitor conditions and aid parents on how to quickly and efficiently pick up and drop off their kids. Increasing the number or guards who monitor traffic and car behavior can also help decrease traffic. 

Despite opposition, implementing the idea of having a guard helping control the different parking lot lanes that get out one after the other instead of all at once can help limit traffic congestion at the traffic lights and in the parking lot, as well as help aid a safer environment in the parking lot.