How Will My Kids Get to School Safely This Year?
Whether your kids walk or peddle their bike a short distance to school, ride a school bus, or are transported in a car, they need to be taught rules that will help ensure their safety while they are traveling to and from school.
1. If Your Kids Walk to School…
If your kids walk a short distance to school, they need to know the rules of the road. Your kids will have a better chance of getting to school safely this year if they walk in pairs instead of alone. Not only are two kids easier to see, but there definitely is “safety in numbers.” Sexual predators tend to prey on kids who are alone.
Before they take off walking on their first day of school, teach your kids the basic pedestrian laws. Make sure they know to “stop, look, and listen” before they cross a roadway. That means, they should stop, look to the left, and then look to the right, then back to the left again. They should also listen to hear if a vehicle is coming if they are standing on a hill or in other area where the visibility isn’t clear.
On city streets, make sure they know they have to listen to the crossing guard and only cross the streets at the crosswalks. If there is no crossing guard, instruct your kids to only cross the streets when the traffic light is red on their side. They should never walk against the light.
Also, your kids need to watch for school buses, as well as other vehicles, in order to walk to school safely this year.
2. If Your Kids Peddle A Bike to School…
If your kids peddle a bike to school, you as a responsible parent will need to make sure they know the basic rules of the road that pertain to bikers. For example, for safety, they should walk their bikes across intersections instead of riding them. They’ll need to know and use the hand signals for making left and right turns. And, they need to know that they have to yield to pedestrians and other vehicles.
3. If Your Kids Travel to School By Car…
If your kids travel to school by car, they’ll need to “buckle up for safety.” They’ll also need to stay in their seats, not engage in horseplay, and not make loud noises that can distract the driver.
4. If Your Kids Ride A Bus to School…
If your kids ride a bus to school, it might make you feel a little better to know that school buses are actually statistically safer than riding in a car. However, to make their trip safer, you must teach your kids certain rules they need to know:
a. To get your kids to school safely this year, make sure they have a safe place to wait for the school bus at. They should stand close enough to the roadway so the school bus driver can see them, but far enough away so they can’t get hit by vehicles.
b. Teach your kids to wait until the school bus comes to a complete stop. They should wait for a sign from the driver before they start towards the bus. If your kids have to walk in front of the bus to get home, they should never walk directly in front of the bus. Instead, teach them to walk about ten feet (which equals to about “five giant steps” in kids’ terms) in front of the bus before they cross the roadway. That way, the driver will be able to see them.
In fact, there are ten foot “danger zones” all around a school bus. If your kids get in one of these zones, they are in danger of not being seen and of being struck. It’s extremely difficult for the driver to see behind the bus. It’s also hard for the driver to see a kid if they are standing within ten feet of the bus at the sides, as well as at the front. Except for when they get on or off the bus, you should teach your kids to stay at least ten feet away from a school bus on all its sides. It’s just part of getting your kids safely back and forth to school this year!
c. When your kids get on a school bus, they should quickly find a seat and stay seated until the bus arrives at the school. The driver will let everyone know when it’s time to exit the bus.
