August symbolizes the end of the summer season, as well as a perfect time to review back-to-school safety rules. This month’s article will focus on the importance of “road rules” for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as travel guidance in traveling to and from school by car of bus.

School Bus Safety

Every child riding a school bus should know the following safety guidelines:

• Always line up facing the bus from the curb.
• Wait for the bus to stop completely before boarding the bus.
• Once on the bus, take a seat and stay seated until the bus stops at the destination.
• If the bus is equipped with lap and shoulder harnesses, they should be worn.
• If seatbelts are unavailable on the bus, work with the school to get them.
• When getting off the bus, always exit to the curb and wait for the bus driver to signal that it is safe to cross the street.
• Stay in the driver’s line of sight. Remember, if your child can’t see the bus driver, he can’t see your child. 

Children are easily distracted and may have less developed peripheral vision than adults. Additionally, younger children are not able to process possible danger quickly, thus requiring drivers to be especially defensive around schools and in neighborhoods where children play. Be very alert to a stray ball in the road or visual blocks diminishing your ability to know what is happening on the other side of the block.

Road Rules

As drivers and bicycists, we all have a responsibility to demonstrate road safety by obeying the laws. Remember the following important rules of the road:

• Drivers in both directions must stop for a school bus when it is stopped. The flashing signal indicates the loading or unloading of children.
• In addition to school bus travel, be aware of students who walk to school or ride bicycles. Caregivers should assure that these children wear brightly colored clothing for easy visibility.
• Bicyclists should always wear properly fitting helmets.
• Bicyclists should also wear properly fitting clothing to avoid becoming tangled in the gears of a bicycle, causing a fall and possible injury.
• As a rule, children should be old enough to understand the road rules for biking. Remind them to ride as close as safely possible to the right side of the roadway and to be well-versed in the use of proper hand signals.
• School zones are clearly marked and should be observed. Breaking the law can result in a hefty fine, or even worse, the danger of possibly hitting a child.


Emergency Vehicle Etiquette

Should an injury occur on our roadways, emergency vehicles need to be able to respond quickly and to move through traffic swiftly and safely. General traffic flow, road distractions and construction sometime make it difficult to recognize what to do when an emergency vehicle approaches. The priority in this situation is to give the emergency vehicle the right of way.

• All traffic should pull over as far to the right as possible and stop.
• Leave your foot on your brake so the emergency vehicle driver knows that you are stopped.
• Be sure to clear intersections so emergency vehicles have more options for navigating through traffic.
• Wait for the vehicle to pass before beginning to move.
• During high traffic times, if there are several lanes of traffic across and you are unable to move out of the emergency vehicle’s path, keep your foot on the brake. The emergency vehicle driver needs to know that he can get through the intersection without wondering if you are going to move.
• Never travel closer than 500 feet behind an emergency vehicle. Emergency traffic has the right of way in all circumstances.

Wishing you a safe start to the 2008 school year,

Injury Prevention
St. John Trauma Services