Get To School Safely – A How-To Guide For Parents

As you send your children back to school, keep these tips in mind to maximize their safety when traveling to and from school.

Sending young children off to school is an overwhelming experience for many parents. Often, this is due to fears parents may have regarding their children’s safety.

These concerns are understandable. However, this guide isn’t meant to add to a parent’s worries. Remember, millions of children throughout the nation travel to and from school safely every day. Yours can as well.

One way you can boost your children’s odds of avoiding harm involves keeping certain essential tips in mind. By taking the following precautions, you’ll enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing you’re helping your kids stay safe when they head to school.

School Bus Safety Tips

Teaching children how to wait for, enter, ride, and exit the bus properly involves:

• Demonstrating to children how to keep a distance from the areas in the immediate vicinity of a bus where a driver may be unable to see them;
• Teaching your kids how to keep a safe distance from the bus when waiting for it to stop;
• If you have the opportunity to do so, practicing how to get on the bus and off the bus (which is particularly important for very young children);
• Explaining to children that if they can’t see the bus driver, the bus driver can’t see them;
• Teaching kids how to cross the street safely if they must do so when getting on or off the bus.

Walking to School Safety Tips:

If your kids walk to school instead of riding the bus, keep them safe by:

• Practicing walking safe routes (including alternate routes if road closures or hazardous conditions prevent your kids from taking their usual routes) with them multiple times before allowing them to walk to school on their own;
• Writing your phone number on your child’s shoe or in some other place that will ensure they always have it on them;
• Finding trusted older kids from the neighborhood your child can walk to school with;
• Teaching children to avoid interacting with strangers if they’re approached;
• Advising children not to approach dogs, even if they appear friendly;
• Reminding your children to always use the sidewalk when one is available;
• Showing children how to make eye contact with drivers when crossing the street to confirm drivers see them;

Forbidding your children from walking with headphones, texting while walking, or engaging in other such behaviors which could distract them.

Teaching your children how to travel to school safely doesn’t stop once they’re teenagers with their own licenses.

Tips for Safely Riding a Bike to School

Boost the safety of your children who ride their bikes to school by:

• Directing them to ride with traffic;
• Teaching them to ride single-file;
• Checking their bikes regularly to confirm they’re in good working order;
• Equipping your children with helmets and bright clothing;
• Instructing your children to avoid riding their bikes on busy roads whenever they have the option of riding in less-busy areas;
• Teaching your children how to use hand signals when turning, but instructing them to otherwise keep both hands on the handlebars when not indicating turns.

Car Safety Tips for Teens

Teaching your children how to travel to school safely doesn’t stop once they’re teenagers with their own licenses. If your teen will be driving to school this year, help them stay safe by:

• Continuing to practice driving in various conditions with them, even if they have already passed their driving test.
• When your teenager is in the car with you, drive the way you would want them to drive, obeying all rules of the road and exercising caution to minimize your own chances of being involved in an accident.
• Providing your teenager with the information they need in case they ever are involved in a collision.

All that said, while following the advice here can help you teach a child to avoid putting themselves in harm’s way when traveling to and from school, you can’t control the decisions others make on the road. Although it’s a very unpleasant thought to consider, it’s possible your child may one day be injured in an accident resulting from the negligence of another party.

Your child deserves to recover compensation accordingly if this ever occurs. If your kid has been hurt because a driver or other such party was careless, review your case with a Boston personal injury attorney at Swartz & Swartz, P.C. to learn more about your legal options. We may be able to help you recover financial compensation for medical bills and other such losses associated with your child’s accident by filing an insurance claim or lawsuit. Get started today by contacting us online or calling us at (800) 545-3732 for more information.

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If you or someone you know, needs help from a lawyer, contact the law offices of Swartz & Swartz, use our live chat, or send us a message using the form below and we’ll get in touch to assess your case and how we can help.