It’s back to school time again. This means more children will be walking and biking on the roads, school buses will be out in droves, and motorists will need to take extra care behind the wheel.

We, as drivers, can help our children get to school safely by avoiding all distractions and following these important safety rules.

Back-To-School Safety Tips For Drivers

 

• Reduce your speed, pay attention, and obey traffic laws in school zones and neighborhoods surrounding schools
• Be ready to stop at all times
• Children on bikes are often slow and unpredictable – slow down and allow at least 3 feet of passing distance between the bicycle and your vehicle
• Wait patiently for children to complete their crossing before you proceed
• Try to make eye contact with children who are waiting to cross the road
• Do not load and unload children into vehicles across the street from the school
• Don’t double park in the school zone – this blocks visibility for other children and vehicles
• Never pass a vehicle that has stopped for pedestrians.?When traveling behind a bus, follow at a greater distance than you would when following another car – this will give you more time to stop once yellow lights begin to flash
• Watch for bikes coming from behind parked cars or driveways
• Do not block crosswalks when stopped – this forces pedestrians to go around you and puts them in the path of moving traffic
• Watch for children arriving late for the bus – they may dart across the street without heeding traffic

 

Parents and guardians can also teach children about public transportation safety—this guide from DiBella Law offers practical tips.
In order to avoid pedestrian accidents and keep children safe in school areas, SERNIS - Technologic Solutions developed SR-TICS.
Read more about our ZERO ACCIDENTS IN CROSSWALKS Case Study featuring SERNIS - Technologic Solutions intelligent crosswalk system.