With Clark County students set to return to the classroom next week, we are glad to learn that Winchester Police will be cracking down on those parked illegally during pick-up and drop-off times.

This year, Winchester Police Chief Kevin Palmer said officers won’t be warning parents parked in no-parking zones around schools. They will be issuing citations.

While we don’t wish a traffic ticket on anyone, these no-parking zones are established for good reasons. Particularly, pick-up and drop-off structures are established for the safety of students and efficiency. Those parents who choose to ignore the schools’ traffic plans put students at risk, create unnecessary traffic congestion and open greater risk for accidents to happen.

Furthermore, these restrictions are in place to respect property owners who live near schools.

Around some schools, particularly Campbell Junior High School on Boone Avenue, parents tend to park along the streets in hopes of avoiding waiting in the school traffic loop. No parking zones have been extended along Boone Avenue, Windridge Drive, Lisle Lane and Vaught Road through the years in response to complaints from property owners about parents blocking driveways.

Anyone who has tried to navigate that area of town when school is letting out will understand why there is concern about adhering to the traffic plan the school establishes. By moving away from this plan, parents are congesting residential streets, blocking driveways and filling up privately-owned parking lots at shopping centers. Getting through that mess can feel impossible.

While heavy traffic is to be expected in areas of the community where schools are located, local law enforcement and school officials work carefully to establish the safest and most efficient traffic plans for each school.

Following those plans is not only an act of courtesy on the part of parents or guardians, but also prevents unnecessary traffic hazards and promotes the safety of students traveling on foot in the area.