School Safety

As we arrive at that time of year when kids head back to the classroom, the National Safety Council offers a checklist you can follow to help make sure your student is safe and prepared for the new school year.

Transportation Safety
Walking to school – review your family’s walking safety rules and practice walking to school with your child
Riding a bicycle to school – teach your child the rules of the road and practice riding the bike route to school with your child
Riding the bus to school – teach your children school bus safety rules and practice with them
Driving your child to school – stay alert and avoid distracting driving. If you have a teenager driving to school, make sure they use seat belts at all times and they don’t use their cell phones to text or make calls and avoid eating or drinking while driving
School Safety – preventing injuries
Many school-related injuries are completely preventable
Preventing backpack-related injuries – choose a backpack for your child carefully, it should have ergonomically designed features to enhance safety and comfort

Preventing playground-related injuries – to reduce strangulation hazards on playgrounds, have your child leave necklaces and jackets with drawstrings at home

Drivers should slow down as children head back to school. Know that yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is getting ready to stop – motorists should slow down and be prepared to stop. Red flashing lights and an extended stop sign indicate the bus is stopped and children are getting on or off.

Motorists must stop when they are behind a bus or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped. Motorists following or traveling alongside a school bus must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety. This includes two and four lane highways. If physical barriers such as grassy medians, guide rails or concrete median barriers separate oncoming traffic from the bus, motorists in the opposing lanes may proceed without stopping.

Do not proceed until all the children have reached a place of safety.

Have a safe and great school year!!