General Safety Tips

Here are some simple rules to reinforce and practice with your children. Remember your child’s limitations; children under 10 years of age are developmentally limited when it comes to judging speed and distance accurately, and very young children may not be able to read the street and pedestrian signs yet.

Let's remind our children:

• Stay with a group. Always walk with at least one friend, two or three is even better.

• If a stranger offers you a ride, say “NO!” and stay far away from their car.

• If a stranger follows you on foot, get away from him or her as quickly as you can. You can run and yell loudly, “HELP!”

• If a stranger follows you in a car, turn around and go the other direction.

• Never leave school with anyone other than a parent after signing out with the office.

• Tell a trusted adult if a stranger is hanging around the school, playground, or public bathroom.

• Leave items and clothing that display your name at home so a stranger cannot read it and use it to talk with you.

• If you arrive home alone, call your mother, father, or other trusted adult to let them know you are home and all right. Keep the door locked, don’t open the door for strangers, and don’t tell strangers that you are home alone.

• Never accept things from a stranger.

• If a stranger asks you a question, don’t talk to them. Run away.

• Don’t go anywhere with a stranger.

Walking Safety Tips

• Walk on the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk and you have to walk in the road, face the traffic so that you can see cars coming and keep as far from the roadway (as far away from the traffic) as possible.

• Cross only at corners or marked crosswalks. (If there is a crosswalk button, press the button and wait for the walk sign to indicate that it is safe to cross.)

• Stop at the curb or edge of the road, look left, then right, and then left again (left right- left) before you step into the street. If a car is parked where you are crossing, make sure there is no driver in the car. Then go to the edge of the car and look left right-left until no cars are coming. Keep looking for cars while you are crossing.

• Walk, don’t run. This gives time for drivers to see you before you enter the roadway.

Bicycling Safety Tips

• Always wear a helmet that is properly fitted and complies with Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Standards.

• Ride on the right side of the road or trail in a single file (one bicycle behind another) in the same direction as other vehicles and come to a complete stop before crossing streets.

• Always use proper hand signals when turning and stopping.

• Use a bicycle bell to alert pedestrians that you are passing (this is effective for preventing crashes).