It’s time to head back to school! This season is a time of excitement, but can also be a dangerous time out on the roads. With more children out and about, and more school speed limit zones being enforced, here are four things to keep in mind before you hit the road.
1. Share the Road with School Buses.
Make sure you’re sharing the road with school buses safely. School bus laws vary slightly depending on what state you’re in. Check out our school bus law guide here.
2. Prepare for extra traffic.
Back-to-school season can bring increased traffic. Be prepared to slow down and give yourself extra time to get where you’re going.
Many high schoolers may be driving themselves and their siblings to school. Give student drivers grace on the road and remember that they’re still learning.
3. Pay attention to school zones.
School zones are typically marked with flashing lights and reduced speed limits. Never drive distracted in a school zone. If you’re dropping off or picking up children at school, always do so in the designated area. Don’t double park or stop in the middle of the road.
It might have been a while since your daily commute included going through a school zone while children were present. Always follow school zone speed limits. Do this even if you don’t see any children around. Children are unpredictable and may dart out into the street without looking, and you can never be sure where they are.
4. Review pedestrian laws with your kids.
Back to school season is an important time to review pedestrian laws with your kids. Make sure they’re aware of how safely cross the street and to always walk facing traffic if they must walk in the roadway.
Here are a few other important rules and safety tips for pedestrians:
- Only cross the street at an intersection or marked pedestrian crosswalk. It is dangerous to cross in the middle of the block between two intersections.
- Avoid walking on the street. Use sidewalks whenever possible.
- If you are in an area without sidewalks, walk on the left side of the road facing traffic.
- When you are waiting for traffic signals to change and give you the right-of-way to cross the street, never wait on the street, only on the curb. When the signal changes to green or reads "Walk," then you may step onto the street.
- For your safety, wear white or light-colored clothing, or carry a light or reflector when you walk early in the morning or in the evening when it is dark out. It is hard for drivers to see pedestrians in dark clothing when it’s dark outside.
- Always look both ways before crossing the street and before stepping out from behind parked cars!
- Exercise extra caution when exiting a streetcar or a bus.
We hope you have a safe and happy start to the school year!
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It’s time to head back to school! This season is a time of excitement, but can also be a dangerous time out on the roads. With more children out and about, and more school speed limit zones being enforced, here are four things to keep in mind before you hit the road.