School Day Traffic Safety Tips

With the long days of summer rolling to a close, one can get preoccupied with the hustle and bustle of returning to a daily routine. As the children in your neighborhood head back to school, there are a few important things all of us can do to ensure we keep our community safe.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 23 million students nationwide rely on buses to get to school. The agency offers the following recommendations to help reduce the number of school bus-related accidents, and to protect your children and yourself as children begin returning to school this fall:

• When backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage, watch out for children walking or bicycling to school.
• When driving in neighborhoods with school zones, watch out for young people who may be thinking about getting to school but may not be thinking of getting there safely.
• Slow down. Watch for children walking in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks in neighborhood.
• Slow down. Watch for children playing and congregating near bus stops.
• Be alert. Children arriving late for the bus may dart into the street without looking for traffic.

“Most emergency responders will agree they dread receiving any kind of pediatric call,” said Rural/Metro Ambulance Paramedic Rick Rod. “Give yourself an extra couple of minutes to get somewhere and make sure you slow down and double-check for children, especially around school zones.”

As always, when in doubt, 911 is at your fingertips. And remember … Every Second Counts.