10 safety tips for back to school

10 safety tips for back to school


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SALT LAKE CITY — There is no denying it; it's back to school season. The sales have begun, sports teams are holding try-outs and teachers are heading back to prepare for the coming year. And although there is a lot of excitement about fall fashions and who might have gotten their braces off during the summer, it's important that we pay attention to the safety of our children who are heading back to school.

At AAA Utah, we're chock full of safety tips for motorists and those with whom we share the road, and today is no different. We've compiled 10 back-to-school safety tips for people of all ages, because it takes our collective effort to keep our roads safe as our children head back to school.

For our youngsters

10 safety tips for back to school

Route: Many youngsters will be walking to school or to a bus stop each morning and afternoon, so it is vital for parents to help map out the safest route for their children. When planning the route, consider how many streets your child will have to cross, and figure out if there is a side of the street that is safer due to better sidewalks and fewer driveways. Walk the route with your children and explain how to look out for driveways and how to cross streets.

Getting there and back: Did you know that depth-of-field and peripheral vision are not fully developed in children? It's true, and because of that, it is incredibly important that your child understands the need to stop and check driveways for reversing cars and to look left-right-left thoroughly before ever crossing the street.

Stranger danger: Back to School season is always a good time to remind your children about stranger danger. Children should never accept rides or gifts from people they do not know. Period. Even if the person says they are a friend of the family.

For our teens

10 safety tips for back to school

Driving alone: It is important for our teen drivers to get practice behind the wheel of a car; that is one of the best ways for them to become safer drivers. However, doing that with a load of other teens in the car can drastically reduce concentration on the act of driving. For the first couple years of driving, teens should be encouraged to drive alone or with an adult.

Riding with another teen: If your child will be riding with a teen to and from school, make sure that teen has completed the Graduated Driver Licensing program, has the proper permits and training to be behind the wheel. Remind your child about the importance of concentration while driving, so as not to distract the driver.

Cell phone use reminder: Just a reminder that Utah banned cell phone use by teens this spring, so unless the teen is reporting a crime or emergency, they need to put the phone down.

For us adults

10 safety tips for back to school

Driveways: Oftentimes, we leave for work at the same time kids are heading to school. Before you back out and while you're backing out, be hyper vigilant of small children walking behind your car as they can be hard to see.

School zones: If you have a school zone in your morning or afternoon commute, plan little extra drive time, so you can properly slow or stop if needed to allow children to safely get to school or get home. Typical schools zones slow traffic to 20 mph, so plan accordingly.

Busses: Not only is it unsafe to pass a bus that is stopped to load or unload kids, it is actually illegal. Watch for the yellow and red flashing lights to let you know when a bus is pulling over to let kids off or on, and do not pass them under any circumstance.

Driving children to school: When you drive children to school, drop them off on the same side of the road as the school so they do not need to cross the road amid all the congestion around the school.

That wraps up our lesson on back-to-school safety. For more tips and tricks visit AAA's Foundation for Traffic Safety website.

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Rolayne Fairclough

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