Staying Safe During Back-to-School Season

School days are here. For some parents, it means a renewed sense of freedom. For others, it means days spent worrying whether their babies are making it through the day without them. No matter how you feel about school, one thing is for sure: Kids are riding in buses and walking down streets in numbers that weren’t seen all summer. A safety reminder is just what we need to help us keep kids safe before and after school.

Dropping the Kids Off

If you are picking the kids up from school or dropping them off, be sure to do so in designated zones. Schools set these school zones up for the safety of all involved. Ignoring these zones puts your children and others at risk of injury. Here are a few rules that apply to school zones:

• Do not double park
• Do not unload or load across the street
• Carpool whenever possible to reduce congestion

Looking Out for Pedestrians

Children die in bus accidents, that much is certain. What many people don’t know is that these children are rarely on a bus when they are killed. Instead, they are walking and hit by a motorist who is trying to illegally pass a school bus. Keep these things in mind when you are near a bus:

• Do not pass a bus that is stopped, whether or not its flashers are on.
• You must stop if the yellow or red lights are flashing and the stop arm on the side of the bus is extended.
• The area that covers 10 feet in front of and around the school bus is the most dangerous for children.
• Stay alert when you are near a stopped bus. Do not count on the fact that the driver will have remembered to turn on the flashers if a child is exiting the vehicle.

Likewise, keep your eyes open when you are in a school zone. Speed limits are lowered and must be followed. Watch out for small children and remember that they can be unpredictable. If you are near a crosswalk, pay attention to the children standing on the corner. It’s not unusual for a small child to dart out into the crosswalk, even if not directed to cross by the attendant.

These are just a few tips to help keep your child and all others safe this school year. Staying alert for little ones will help to ensure that accidents involving kids are kept to a minimum.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a personal injury in Charlotte, you need an experienced attorney on your side. Call our team today and let us review the facts of your case at no cost to you. Call now or browse our website for more information about our firm and the types of cases we handle.