DENVER — All over Colorado, as thousands of children are expected to take to the streets Wednesday for Walk to School Day, the Colorado Department of Transportation and local police are encouraging drivers to pay extra attention to pedestrians and bicyclists.

Participating schools are seeking to encourage families and students how to safely walk and bike in their communities, as well as inform parents and other drivers on how to drive more safely around pedestrians and cyclists.

About 140 schools in Colorado have registered for the event.

Denver police said they will be on the streets Wednesday morning, watching for  school zone violators and hoping to send a very important message.

“It’s a little darker in the morning, the kids are hard to be seen — just make sure you’re paying attention,” Denver police officer Dan McNulty said.

Denver police urge the public that programs like this can only be successful if everyone plays it safe. If you drive in a school zone , you have to be aware of the kids walking and biking at all times, they say.

A fine for speeding in a school zone could land you a fee of up to $300. All kids taking part will get a reflective wrist band that says “Heads up, I’m hard to see.”

Schools taking part can apply for a grant from CDOT to help them fix any unsafe conditions around their school and to keep the walk to school program up and running in the future.