Go-kart driving: Kanawha County students learn road, fire tips at Safety City

That’s because these drivers and pedestrians were in the third grade. Their cars were electric go-karts, and their town was Safety City — a miniature road system behind the North Charleston Community Center.

The program recently started again after a four-year hiatus.

Go-kart driving

At last week’s event, about 30 third-graders from Kenna Elementary School attended the program.

For about an hour, the students sat in a classroom learning about traffic, bike, gun and drug safety from Charleston Police Cpls. Nick Stone and Josh Harper. Lt. Steven Hicks, of the Charleston Fire Department, taught the kids about fire safety.

Outside, students took turns driving five go-karts around Safety City, which features working traffic lights and miniature buildings painted with sponsors’ logos. While five drivers took their turn at the wheel, the rest of the students practiced safe pedestrian practices and obeying traffic signals.

For some, staying on their side of the road or reading traffic signs was difficult.

“You have to pay a lot of attention to people and other things,” student driver Juliet Anderson said.

Others took to the road like they were naturals.

“It feels like it’s as fun as my dad seems [to have] when he’s driving,” Reid Morrison said.

Fire safety

On the other side of the complex, Hicks took the kids into a tiny two-story house to show them smoke alarms and common fire hazards. On the second floor, a fog machine pumped out fake smoke and triggered a smoke alarm. The kids “escaped” through a window and down a ladder as their teachers waited below.

Fire safety was the most common answer when the students were asked what they learned.

“You need to escape the house whenever there’s smoke,” Caroline Griffith said.

Opportunity to connect

Safety City opened in 1991 under Police Chief Dallas Staples. The CPD stopped hosting programs during the COVID-19 pandemic and then, later, because repairs were needed.

Sponsors like Lowe’s, Chick-fil-A and the United Way have sponsored buildings that are about 6 feet tall — the perfect size for kids like Juliet, who was “late to Chick-fil-A.”

Programs resumed just a few weeks ago, according to the CPD’s social media accounts.

Police Chief Scott Dempsey told the Kenna Elementary students that he wished he’d had a similar field trip when he was in third grade.

Dempsey told the Gazette-Mail that the goals of the program are two-fold. It gives:

• Kids a chance to learn about road and bike safety
• Police officers an opportunity to interact with kids

“That way, if — Lord forbid — they’re in some type of trouble or they need a police officer, they know, ‘Hey, I remember that police officer when we were at Safety City. I need help. I’m going to talk to them,’” he said. “It gives us a chance to build relationships with the community and the schools, and, for that, it’s a win-win.”

For many of the students, Safety City has been their favorite field trip of the school year.

“You get to learn and have fun at the same time,” Caroline said.