Back to School Blog

Heading Back to School

Back to school was one of the most exciting times for me when I was younger. I was always so excited to see what a new school year would bring and the fun activities that I would get to experience with my classmates. What I would be most excited for was to get back with all of my classmates that I missed all summer long.

With everything on my mind going back to school the last thing I thought about was my safety when I was going to school. I would be so excited to get to school and see my friends that I would never use my common sense to keep myself safe when I would walk to school every day.

With a new school year right around the corner, now is the perfect time to take a few minutes to remind your kids how they can stay safe when going to school, whether they walk, bike, take the bus or ride in a carpool. No matter how your kids get to school, make sure they are safe and prepared to make the trip. These five tips will help get you started.

Safety Tips

1. Phones down, heads up - When walking near and around cars keep your heads up and be aware of your surroundings. Headphones and phones can distract pedestrians from seeing oncoming traffic and can result in injury.

2. Cross at an intersection – When crossing the street always be sure to cross at and intersecting instead of the middle of the block. Crossing someplace other than an intersection accounts for more than 70 percent of pedestrian deaths.

3. Wear a helmet – When biking to school make sure kids always wear a properly fitted helmet. Helmets are the best way to prevent head injuries and death when riding a bike. If you are not sure how to properly fit a helmet you look at the Helmet Fit Test from Safekids Worldwide.

4. Use hand signals- When biking to school make sure kids know the ways of the road and the proper Hand Signals they should use while biking. It is very important to follow the rules of the road while biking to stay safe. Safekids also provides a biking hand signal guide if you need help learning them.

5. Bus Safety – If your child is going to take the bus to school, it’s important to talk to them about basic School Bus Safety to prevent injuries. Teach kids to wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before entering the bus and to keep three giant steps always from the bus until it comes to a complete stop.