Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Back-To-School Safety
This is the time of year when summer vacations come to an end and school officially begins. That means there are lots of children on and near roads. The start of school is not only a great time to teach children how to cross streets and ride school buses safely, it’s also a good time to remind adults how to use street smarts when it comes to obeying speed limits, stopping for buses, and yielding to pedestrians – young and old alike – at crosswalks.
Here are some good resources that drivers, parents, and school students can use to keep kids out of harm’s way throughout the school year.
According to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, 1 in 5 motor vehicle deaths involved a pedestrian. When driving near crossing guards and children follow these tips:
• Look out for signs that you are near a crosswalk, such as pedestrian crossing signs, hand-held stop paddles, and the reflective vests that crossing guards wear,
• Slow down when approaching a crosswalk,
• Avoid distracted driving — don’t do things that will take your attention off the road like texting, emailing, surfing the web, or playing games on your phone,
• Look out for pedestrians at all times. Take extra care when you’re in areas with lots of pedestrians like school zones, parks, playgrounds, and bus stops,
• Try to make eye contact with pedestrians so you know that they see you. Just because you see them doesn’t mean they see you,
• Be aware that children and crossing guards may be blocked from view by buses or cars. Use caution around other vehicles.
