Before and After School Safety

Beginning of the school year always brings reminders of safety...who is with the children in the morning getting them off to a good start...who is seeing them home to make sure they're safe and fed after school...SO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT! I wanted to make this blog broader than just school bus safety. (There's a wonderful site: www.SchoolBusSafety.com which address just the school bus...but addresses kids, parents, teachers and bus drivers.) But I want folks to consider so much more.

• Some older youth or adult needs to be watching out for little ones waiting for the bus or coming home from the school. Staying in groups make everyone be seen and safer around strangers or other folks trying to give them rides. Remind them to never get in a vehicle, unless it's their caregiver.

• Kids need to be reminded about the dangerous blind spots surrounding a bus (by the bus driver).

• They need to be reminded about how important it is to stay on the sidewalk or 10 feet (5 Giant Steps) away from the road.

• To never pick something up that may have fallen, until the bus driver says it's safe to. (Balls that roll into the street, or papers falling out of the backpack.)

• Kids need to be shown turning your head LEFT AND RIGHT at driveways, alleys and other streets, for cars.

• HIGH SCHOOL PARKING LOTS are very dangerous. Talk to your older teens about walking and driving safely where there are so many inexperienced drivers.

ADULTS
• Never pass a bus on the right side. (that is where kids get out of the bus.)
• Never pass when the STOP arm is down.
• ALWAYS STOP when the arm is down, even in 4 lanes with no embankment in the median.


Carol Cochard Pool, MSW, PCAIN Prevention Education Specialist