Back to School Safety Tips

As much as we hate to admit it, summer is nearly over and the school year is about to begin.  With kids from kindergarten to high school trekking to and from school during peak times, chances of a dangerous accident increase.  Here are a few important safety reminders for motorists as classes start up again:

• Pay attention to school zones and reduce your speed accordingly
• Stop for crossing guards
• Never pass a bus that is loading or unloading children

Remember that kids sometimes fail to act cautiously.  Where most adults would stop and look both ways before cross a street, children frequently run into the road without properly checking.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that a pedestrian is injured in a traffic crash every 7 minutes, on average.  Recent data suggest that teenagers are now at greater risk of being injured or killed in pedestrian-versus-vehicle collisions, perhaps in part because of being distracted by texting while walking.  Of course, distracted drivers are a major problem as well.

During peak drop-off and pick-up times, school zones can be congested with traffic and pedestrians.  With all this activity, a little extra caution can go a long way in keeping kids safe.