Four Corners Press Release
Students all travel to school in many ways, whether walking, biking, riding, or driving in cars with family or friends or in school buses. When school starts, students are often distracted and thinking about school. If you are driving, remember that you are in control. Drive like your friends or loved one’s lives depend on it. Make sure everyone buckles up, does not drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and obeys all traffic safety laws, such as the speed limit.
To help keep all people safe as they are heading to and from school, here are some traffic tips:
Teen and Adult Drivers
- When leaving a driveway or garage, watch for children walking or biking.
- Wear a seat belt—every trip, every time. Every person in the car should be wearing a seat belt, no matter where they are sitting. Kids 8 and under should ride in an age/weight-appropriate car seat.
- Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. When someone is walking in the crosswalk, they have the right of way.
- Stay alert! Watch for children who may be thinking about getting to school but may not be thinking about getting there safely. This will help you to be ready to stop when needed.
- Make sure you know where designated pick up and drop off sites, parking lots, and crosswalks are so students get in and out of school safely.
- Slow down! Watch for children walking in the street (be more careful in places where there are no sidewalks). Watch for children playing and waiting near bus stops. Driving the speed limit lessens the chance of being in a crash, and of being seriously hurt if a crash does happen.
- Learn and follow the school bus laws in our state. If the red lights are flashing and the stop sign is out, you must stop your car (coming from either side) and stay stopped until the lights stop flashing, stop sign is withdrawn, and the bus starts moving again. Flashing red could mean kids are ahead.
- Allow plenty of time to get where you are going until you can learn about the traffic on your drive.
- If you are a teen driver, make sure you know how many passengers your license allows you to transport. The fewer passengers, the better.
Children
- Get to the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus comes.
- Stand three giant steps (6 feet) or more away from the curb, and line up away from the street.
- Wait until the school bus stops, the door opens, and the driver says that it’s okay before getting on or off the bus.
- Use hand rails to keep from falling. When leaving the bus, be careful that your clothes, strings, and book bag straps don’t get caught in the handrails or doors.
- Never walk behind the bus.
- Walk at least three giant steps away from the bus.
- If you drop something near the bus, tell the bus driver before picking it up.
Parents
- Your teens may be in the driver’s seat, but you are still in control. Talk to them about driving safely and speaking up if they are in a car with someone who is not driving safely.
- Teach children and teens to follow these rules to help them get to school safely.
- Carpool when you can. It can make the line of cars shorter, parking lots less full, and even save money.
