The jackets feature reflective stripes along the sides and back, which increase visibility for drivers when children are walking, biking, or riding scooters to school early in the morning.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Just the previous year, a tragedy struck the Edward H. White High School community when a student was fatally struck while walking to school. In response, they believe these jackets might help save lives.
“These are reflectors, designed to make you visible on the road,” explained Maia Terrell, a 9th grader at Ed White High School. “Especially considering the incidents where people, primarily students, have been hit.”
She showed First Coast News a new jacket as part of their school uniform options.
The jackets’ reflective strips are strategically placed to alert drivers to the presence of children commuting to school in the early hours.
“Even in the daytime—the lighting, you can still see it reflect,” Maia said. “It’s super cool, I think it’s also stylish.”
The introduction of the reflective jackets comes as student safety is in the spotlight.
This year in Duval County, three students were hit over a six-day span in August, including one who died.
A few years prior, another Ed White high school student died while crossing Normandy Boulevard.
“It makes me feel very empathetic toward students who don’t have the luxury of being driven to school and must navigate heavy traffic on foot,” Maia shared.
Maia’s mother Anesthesia knows the importance of these jackets firsthand. She’s a teacher at the school.
“When headlights or street lamps shine on the jackets, they reflect light just like the gear bikers use,” Anesthesia Terrell told First Coast News. “I think it’s great because the students find them stylish too.”
Ed White high school recently added the reflective jacket to their uniform package. It costs an extra $10 for parents.
