September marks the start of back to school for kids around the country. While there are many things children worry about during this change of seasons, the topic of safety should be prioritized. From crossing the road as a pedestrian to biking to school, remember to discuss these important safety issues before sending your child back to the classroom.
Pedestrian safety:
Here are three tips for pedestrians:
- Be engaged: When you are getting ready to cross the street, pause music and stop talking or texting. Look up and pay attention to what is going on around you.
- Follow the rules: Follow traffic signals and cross streets only at intersections, not mid-street. When you follow the rules, drivers know what you are going to do.
- Wait and see: Try to make eye contact with drivers and wait until you know what drivers are planning to do before you step into the street. Do not assume that drivers will drive safety or are paying attention.
Bike safety:
Some children bike to school rather than walk or ride the bus. In this case, children have to be aware of the rules of the road and safety instructions for biking on busy roads. Here are some safety tips for biking:
- Wear a helmet: Helmets should not be optional for anyone in your family – in many states, it’s the law. Just be sure your helmet fits correctly and has a CPSC or Snell sticker inside. These indicate that the helmet meets standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) or the Snell Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit group that tests helmet safety.
- Rules of the road: Always follow the rules of the road when you or your child is biking. Some common rules are: always ride in the same direction as cars do, check for traffic before crossing any street, stop at all stop signs and obey traffic lights. Find more rules of the road here.
See something, say something:
It’s important to teach your children that if they see something that doesn’t seem quite right, they should say something. Some kids don’t want to get someone in trouble so they don’t come forward with what they saw. Discussing this with your children will help them understand the importance of reporting any suspicious activity. Don’t forget to remind them to call 9-1-1 if there is an emergency.
