Help kids get to school and home safely

An adult’s flash of impatience behind the wheel or a child’s panicked sprint to catch up with a departing school bus can turn a single moment into a terrible nightmare. As children return to school, drivers and children must remember that getting to school and home safely is everybody’s business.

If your children take the bus, make sure they know these five simple rules: arrive at your school bus stop five minutes before its scheduled stop; wait for the bus a safe distance away from the side of the street; stay back from the bus until it comes to a complete stop; if it’s dark, wear retro-reflective material and stay visible to drivers; and if you miss your bus or if it never arrives, go straight back home.

For those who walk or ride a bicycle to school, help them choose the safest and most direct route. If there are no sidewalks, make sure they know to walk facing traffic or ride their bicycle with the traffic. Teach them to cross streets only at crosswalks and to always check for cars to the left first, then right, then left again.

In the car, respect school bus traffic laws, which means coming to a full stop, from both directions, until the bus’s red lights stop flashing. If you’re preparing to make a right turn, be aware of bicyclists approaching from behind you on that side. Keep an eye out for children crossing the street, especially during hours when the school day starts and ends. Slow down in school zones, and be watchful for children running to catch the school bus.

Drive slowly in school zones; kids can dart out into the street faster than you can blink an eye.