Road travel increases and traffic patterns shift, so this busy time of year can be a dangerous one − especially for children.
Drivers and students need to be prepared for back to school safety by following these tips:
Walking Safety
- Being realistic about your child’s pedestrian skills is key to deciding if your child is ready to skip the bus and walk to school. Small children are impulsive and less cautious around traffic, so carefully consider whether or not your child is ready to walk to school without adult supervision.
- Children are not ready to walk to school without an adult until they are at least 10 years old.
- Plan a walking route to school or the bus stop. Choose the most direct way with the fewest street crossings and, if possible, with intersections that have crossing guards.
- Teach your children to recognize and obey traffic signals, signs, and pavement markings.
- Teach your children to never talk to strangers and never get into a vehicle with anyone, even if they know them, without your permission.
- We know monograming is a hot tend, but avoid embroidering your children’s names on backpacks and lunch boxes if they ever walk by themselves. Strangers could use that to their advantage.
Riding the Bus Safety
- Get to the bus stop early. Do not run to the bus.
- Make sure your child stays out of the street and avoids excessive horseplay while waiting for the school bus.
- Be sure the bus comes to a complete stop before getting on or off.
- Make sure your child stays out of the street and avoids excessive horseplay while waiting for the school bus.
- Be sure the bus comes to a complete stop before getting on or off
Driving Safety
- All passengers should wear a seat belt and/or an age- and size-appropriate car safety seat or booster seat.
- When entering a school zone, be sure to slow down and obey all traffic laws.
- Be alert. Children may dart into the street without looking.
- Never go around a school bus with a stop arm extended.
After School Safety – Home Alone?
- Teach children to go straight home after school and not to go anywhere else without permission.
- Post an emergency phone list where the children can see it. Include 9-1-1, the parents work and cell numbers, numbers for neighbors, and the numbers for anyone else who is close and trusted.
- Keep easy ‘after-school snacks’ around the house to ensure your child won’t try to use the toaster oven, or stove.
- Teach children to never open the door to delivery people or service representatives.
- Teach children to never tell someone on the telephone that the parents are not at home. Teach them to say something like “He or she is busy right now. Can I take a message?”
- Teach children to not talk about being home alone on social media web sites.
- Activate parental controls on TV’s, computers and tablets.
Biking Safety
- Always wear a bicycle helmet, no matter how short or long the ride.
- Ride on the right, in the same direction as auto traffic.
- Use appropriate hand signals.
- Respect traffic lights and stop signs.
- Slow down and look both ways if your crossing a street
For more information on back-to-school safety, visit nsc.org/back2school.