Back to School Means Slowing Down for Safety

Students throughout the Silver Valley are either already attending school or are starting school this week.  This means school buses are picking up children, kids are riding bikes to school, and parents are dropping off their kids before heading to work.

It is never more important for drivers to slow down and pay attention than when kids are present on the roads.  This is especially true before and after school.

According to the National Safety Council, schools often have very specific drop-off procedures for the school year.  Make sure you know them for the safety of all kids.  The following apply to all school zones:

● Don't double park; it blocks visibility for other children and vehicles

● Don't load or unload children across the street from the school

● Carpool to reduce the number of vehicles at the school

According to research by the National Safety Council, most of the children who lose their lives in bus-related incidents are 4 to 7 years old, and they're walking. They are hit by the bus, or by a motorist illegally passing a stopped bus. A few precautions go a long way toward keeping children safe:

● Don't block the crosswalk when stopped at a red light or waiting to make a turn, forcing pedestrians to go around you; this could put them in the path of moving traffic

● In a school zone when flashers are blinking, stop and yield to pedestrians crossing the crosswalk or intersection

● Always stop for a school patrol officer or crossing guard holding up a stop sign

● Take extra care to look for children in school zones, near playgrounds and parks, and in all residential areas

● Don't honk or rev your engine to scare a pedestrian, even if you have the right of way

● Never pass a vehicle stopped for pedestrians

● Always use extreme caution to avoid striking pedestrians wherever they may be, no matter who has the right of way

If you're driving behind a bus, allow a greater following distance than if you were driving behind a car. It will give you more time to stop once the yellow lights start flashing. It is illegal in all 50 states to pass a school bus that has stopped to load or unload children.

Here are some more tips from the National Security Council regarding school buses.

● Never pass a bus from behind – or from either direction if you're on an undivided road – if it is stopped to load or unload children

● If the yellow or red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended, traffic must stop

● The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children; stop far enough back to allow them space to safely enter and exit the bus

● Be alert; children often are unpredictable, and they tend to ignore hazards and take risks

All it takes is a little extra care and caution for drivers and pedestrians to safely co-exist in school zones.