As part of its public education and awareness program—Street Smarts—the department is partnering with law enforcement, public safety organizations, schools and other city departments to remind motorists to drive more safely when entering school zones.

"Even I have to sometimes remind myself to slow down in a school zone," Silverman said.

The father of two said he's grateful that the city is making an effort to enforce the need for safe driving around schools, with the opening day only weeks away. He also believes the timing is right.

"I think the country, and California in particular, is paying less attention to business and focusing more on education," Silverman said, "and a big part of that focus is getting kids to school safely."

The back-to-school component of the program combines public service organizations—the American Automobile Association and Safe Moves—with law-enforcement agencies to identify specific traffic safety problems associated with schools.

The American Automobile Association will underwrite educational posters for elementary- and middle-school classrooms, and the nonprofit organization Safe Moves will use interactive workshops to teach children road safety.

The campaign will also review school-zone safety programs currently in place to see what improvements can be made.

Lt. Richard Saito of the San Jose Police Department said that what's unique about the Street Smarts' back-to-school campaign is that, unlike other safety programs, police enforcement will be on hand the first week of school to enforce speed limits and issue citations.

Usually, the California Highway Patrol enforces safe driving in school zones each year with its annual countywide Operation Safe Passage program, which it conducts every October, January and May.

However, Linda Crabill, the department's spokeswoman, said that parents, students and motorists often develop unsafe habits, so, Saito said, the department asked the San Jose police to enforce safety laws earlier in the school year.

"We wanted to be more proactive," Saito said. "We believe that by providing a visible police presence and by also issuing citations, we can help drivers adjust their driving habits accordingly."

While the police help affect behaviors of motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists in the school zones, the campaign will also be working in the classroom.

The campaign will also involve informational posters, banners and fliers that, in cooperation with the American Automobile Association, will be posted in elementary- and middle-school classrooms.

George Rix will be looking forward to seeing these safety posters at Willow Glen Middle School on Cottle Avenue, where he'll be teaching social studies this year.

The father of three has seen how congested Cottle Avenue becomes as students from the nearby high school travel through the area, while other cars and school buses negotiate a street with two stop signs.

"It can get pretty congested out there," Rix said. "And it's that way throughout the school year."

Avoiding congestion is one topic the campaign tries to emphasize by asking parents who drive to park a block away and then walk their children to school. Other ideas the campaign tries to enforce are driving 25 miles per hour or slower and not to double-park.

Crabill said that the CHP conducted studies that show driver behavior is becoming worse, and she believes it's because society is becoming impatient with having to wait in cars to arrive somewhere.

"We've reached a point where we want everything to be Internet quick," Crabill said. "People are trying to multitask while they drive by using cell phones or laptops."

However, enforcing traffic laws and reengineering streets is too costly, so the department is emphasizing education.

"When you get into your car, you need to be focused on driving safely," Crabill said, "and stop multitasking!"

The department's Street Smarts campaign launched in November 2002. The campaign is geared toward changing the behaviors and attitudes of drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians during the next three years. The first year of the campaign is aimed at raising awareness, Crabill said.

The department's overarching approach to controlling traffic in the city is the Three E's: enforcement, engineering and education. Street Smarts is the department's education tool.