It’s that time of year again. Students are returning to school and highways are likely to become busier as school buses, school traffic, and pedestrians make their way back to class. Yet, this increase in traffic, brings greater risks for car accidents, pedestrian injuries, and bicycle injuries. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 327 school-age kids were killed in transportation-related accidents. What can you do to stay safe behind the wheel? And what can you do to keep your child safe if he or she is heading back to school? Here are 12 back to school driving and safety tips:
- Obey all signs and crossing guard instructions and don’t block crosswalks. School zones are busy areas. Always pay attention to signs and always listen to instructions and hand signals provided by crossing guards. According to the National Safety Council, blocking a crosswalk could put children in the path of traffic if they have to go around your car.
- Slow down. Most school zones are slow areas. Obey the speed limit while in school zones. The speed limits are designed to prevent collisions with pedestrians and also make it easier for drivers to stop should a child run into the street.
- Stop behind school buses. It is illegal to pass a stopped school bus, unless you are driving on a divided highway. Always stop behind a school bus. Children may be crossing in front of the bus. Ignoring this law can put children at risk.
- Drop off your child in front of the school. Children who have to cross a street of traffic are more likely to be involved in an accident than those who are dropped off right in front of school.
- If you aren’t dropping off your child, avoid the school zone altogether. Unless you are trying to drop off your child, you should try to avoid driving in the school zone during pick-up and drop-off times. Research alternative routes. Not only will your commute likely be faster, but you’ll also reduce congestion in the school zone, keeping everyone safer.
- Teach your child to look both ways before crossing the street. This includes looking both ways when leaving a school bus.
- Teach your child to wait for the bus away from the road. According to the NHTSA, children should be at least 6 feet away from the road. For a child, this would be about the same as six giant steps away from the curb.
- Don’t let children who walk to school use earphones. Children need to hear cars as well as see them.
- When children walk, they should walk in a group.
- If a child bikes to school, make sure he or she has a proper helmet.
- If your child bikes to school, make sure he or she understands the rules of the road. He or she should be able to pass your state’s learner’s permit test. If he or she can’t, your child should probably not be biking to school.
- Wear bright colors when walking or biking to and from school. Bright colors in general will make your child more visible to motorists.
School safety is everyone’s responsibility. Unfortunately, every year children are hurt or killed in school zones. If you or a loved one has been hurt in an accident, the personal injury lawyers at the Law Office of Robert Gregg in Dallas, Texas work closely with victims and families to help them seek the justice they may deserve.