No Matter Child’s Age, Review Back-to-School Safety

By JENNIFER CIPRIANO
Jennifer Cipriano

Summer has almost ended and a new school year is upon us.  As we prepare to send our children back to school, it is important to remind them how to get to and from school safely.

Whether your child is preparing to ride the bus, walk, bike or drive, below are some important safety tips to share with them.

 

Bus Riders

Riding the bus is the safest way for children to travel to and from school; however, extra precautions should be taken while getting on and off the bus. Over the last decade, nearly two-thirds of school-age pedestrians fatally injured in school transportation-related crashes were struck by school buses or other vehicles when getting on or off a school bus.

Teach your child to:

  • Stay five steps away from the curb as the bus approaches.
  • Wait for the bus driver to tell them when to board.
  • Wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before getting off and do not walk behind the bus.
  • If they need to cross the street after exiting the bus, they should take five giant steps in front of the bus, make eye contact with the bus driver and wait for their signal to indicate it is safe to cross.
  • Look left, right, and left again before crossing the street.

Walkers

Walking is great exercise before and after school. Unfortunately, many children are not getting to and from school safely while walking. Each day in the U.S., more than 40 children are hit by a vehicle while walking and our teenagers are at highest risk. 

Teach your child to:

  • Use the sidewalk or path whenever possible and if there is not a sidewalk, instruct them to walk facing traffic as far away from vehicles as possible. Sidewalks can reduce pedestrian crashes by almost 90%.
  • Put his or her phone down, keep a head up, and stay alert to surroundings.
  • Always cross the street in a crosswalk. Crossing somewhere other than a crosswalk accounts for more than 70% of child pedestrian deaths.
  • Look left, right, and left again before crossing the street.
  • Watch out for cars backing up in parking lots and driveways.
  • Be alert and be seen, especially when it’s dark out. Three-fourths of teen pedestrian deaths occur between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. when it is dark out. 

Bicycle Riders

Biking is also great exercise while traveling to and from school. Kids love to ride their bikes and it provides a fun way to get there a little more quickly.

Teach your child to:

  • Always wear a properly fitted helmet. Bike helmets reduce head injuries by 85% and brain injuries by 88%. Additionally, Florida law requires riders under the age of 16 to wear a properly fitted helmet.
  • Ride in the same direction as traffic and follow all traffic signs and signals.
  • Stay in the bike lane whenever possible.
  • Be sure your child knows and uses all appropriate hand signals.
  • Use the sidewalk properly and stay alert for other pedestrians.
  • Never use electronics while riding. 

Teen Drivers

Some teens drive or carpool with a peer as a way to school. Although this new-found freedom is exciting, it comes with a high level of responsibility and safety education is crucial.

Teach your teen to:

  • Stay alert and minimize distractions, such as loud music or multiple passengers.
  • Remember that the phone should stay down while driving. Sending or reading a text takes their eyes off the road for 5 seconds on average, and at 55 mph, that is equivalent to driving the length of an entire football field with their eyes closed.
  • The car should not move until everyone in it is buckled properly.

No matter the age of your child, safety should be one of the first lessons of every new school year. Educating and re-educating our children throughout the year will help reduce their risk of preventable injuries while traveling to and from school. Let’s make safety our top priority this 2019-2020 school year! 

Sources: National Safety Council, Safe Kids Worldwide, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
Florida Department of Transportation, & Section 316.2065 Florida Statute

About the Author

Jennifer Cipriano, BSN, RN, CMSRN, is the Trauma Continuum of Care Coordinator for Lakeland Regional Health and is a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician.

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