Back to School Safety
Fall is here, summer is behind us and students are back in school. We all need to make sure the students are safe when traveling to and from school.
Walking: Parents of students walking to school should teach their children these basic safety rules. Walk on the sidewalk when one is available. If a sidewalk is not available, walk facing oncoming traffic. Cross the street only at corners and in a crosswalk. When there is a traffic signal, only cross when the white-lighted person or walk indicator is lit. At no time should a student run into the road to make the light. Have an adult or older student walk with younger students. Soon it will be dark in the morning and early afternoon. It is a good idea to have your student wear a reflective vest and place reflective tape on their backpacks and bookbags. If you have a child that likes to exercise independence, walk with your child and make sure he/she is making safe decisions and following safety rules.
Driving: All drivers need to look for children walking to school. This does not mean only slowing down in school zones. Do what you can to eliminate distractions. Families have hectic mornings and may be running late during their morning commute. If you are driving your children to school, you already can be a distracted driver by talking with your children. In general, try to give yourself five to ten extra minutes for travel time. You won’t feel rushed. You are able to drive slower and be aware of students and school buses. When you arrive at school drop your children off in the drop off zones. Make sure your children have safely gotten out of the car with all of their belongings and walked onto the school sidewalk or grounds. The last thing you want is to be driving off and your child is running back to the car in traffic because he/she left something in the car.
School Buses: Many children ride the bus to school. Please teach your child to stay in the area of the bus stop. Some children like to play at the bus stop which could be dangerous to your child and the other children at the bus stop. Teach your child not to run around, push, or tug other children. A child could inadvertently get pushed into the road and struck by a car. Teach your child to not leave the bus stop until the bus has stopped, has the stop signs out and the door is open.
As a driver when traveling by a school bus, you must yield to a bus that is signaling and pulling back onto the roadway. After the children are off the bus please wait until the bus has left. The risk of injuring a child crossing the street is increased when children are unloading the bus. Some school districts have equipped school buses with cameras to catch drivers who put children in danger. Know and follow the rules below:
If you have a child or family member that was injured traveling to or from school and have questions or would like help please call Palace Law or go here.