Essential Back-to-School Safety Tips for Families

As the back-to-school season kicks off, families are gearing up for a new academic year. While excitement fills the air, it’s crucial to remember this time of year brings unique safety considerations. 

At Sam & Ash Injury Law, we’re dedicated to ensuring the safety of our community, especially as children head back to school.

Here are some essential safety tips to help keep families safe, on and off school grounds.

1. Pedestrian Safety: Crosswalks and Sidewalks

With more children walking to and from school, pedestrian safety is a top priority. Make sure your child knows to use crosswalks, listen to crossing guard instructions, and obey traffic signals. Remind them to:

• Look Both Ways: Always check for cars before crossing the street, even if they’re in a crosswalk. 
• Stay on Sidewalks: Walk on sidewalks whenever available. If there’s no sidewalk, walk facing traffic.
• Avoid Distractions: Keep phones and other distractions away while crossing the street. 

For additional information about pedestrian safety tips, click here.

2. Bicycle Safety: Helmets and Traffic Rules

For children who ride a bicycle to school, proper safety gear and adherence to traffic rules are crucial. Ensure your child:

• Practice the Route: Walk (or bike) with your child along the route they’ll take to school each day, ensuring that you point out specific areas of danger or potential hazards. Highlighting busy intersections, or areas where cars make U-Turns, can make all the difference. 
• Wear a Helmet: Helmets should fit snugly and be worn at all times. 
• Follow Traffic Laws: Bike with the flow of traffic and obey all traffic signals and signs.
• Use Hand Signals: Teach them to signal turns and stops to increase visibility to drivers.
• Bike Lights: As days get shorter and after-school activities ramp up, some children (especially middle-schoolers and high-schoolers) may be biking home during late afternoon or evening hours. These conditions dramatically increase the likelihood of accidents. Ensure that each child has working bike lights/reflectors, etc.
• Additional Precautions: Wearing bright-colored clothing or accessories such as a reflective backpack or vest helps drivers see children when riding during low-light conditions. 

For additional information about bicycle safety tips, click here.

3. School Bus Safety: Boarding and Deboarding

School buses are one of the safest modes of transportation, but safety rules still apply. Remind your child:

• Follow Bus Driver Instructions: Ensure the bus driver has signaled for the students to board before approaching. Just because the bus stops doesn’t mean the driver is ready for children to approach. Always wait for the driver to signal to the children to board and open the door before boarding.
• Stay at a Safe Distance: Wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before approaching. If young children are riding the bus parents should stay with the child until the bus arrives to confirm they can board the bus safely. 
• Enter and Exit Calmly: Avoid pushing or shoving when boarding or exiting the bus.
• Cross Safely: If crossing the street after getting off the bus, wait for the driver’s signal and look both ways.

4. Vehicle Safety: Drop-off and Pick-up Zones

When driving your children to school, consider the following to ensure everyone’s safety:

• Obey Traffic Laws: Slow down! Follow school zone speed limits and be aware of crossing guards.
• Use Designated Areas: Drop off and pick up children only in designated zones to avoid congestion and accidents. Establish a designated meeting point so the child knows where they will be picked up and dropped off. 
• Avoid Double Parking: Double parking can block visibility and create hazards for pedestrians and other drivers.
• Avoid Distractions: Keep phones and other distractions away while driving in a school zone. 
• Seat Belts and Car Seats: If carpooling or transporting young children ensure all passengers have a seat belt or the proper safety equipment such as a car seat or booster seat installed in the vehicle. 

5. Emergency Preparedness: Know the Plan

Ensure your child is familiar with their school’s emergency procedures. Discuss the following with them:

• Emergency Contacts: Ensure they can reach you and other emergency contacts in case an injury occurs.
• Evacuation Routes: Understand the school’s evacuation plan and what to do in case of an emergency.

6. Health and Hygiene: Preventing Illness

With a new school year, maintaining good health and hygiene is vital to prevent the spread of illnesses. Encourage your child to:

• Wash Hands Regularly: Use soap and water, especially before eating and after using the bathroom.
• Stay Home When Sick: Keep students home if they have symptoms of illness to prevent spreading germs. This usually includes temperatures over 100.4 degrees, diarrhea, vomiting or other flu like symptoms. 

7. Online Safety: Cyber Awareness

As technology plays a significant role in education, online safety is essential. Teach your child to:

• Be Cautious With Personal Information: Avoid sharing personal details online.
• Report Unusual Activity: Encourage them to report any suspicious behavior or online harassment.

8. Stranger Danger: 

• Update Contact Lists: Parents should revisit who is on the approved list for drop-off and pick-up. 
• Establish a Safe Word: Give your student a specific word or phrase they’ll know to ask when someone new comes to pick them up. 
• Reporting Absences: Maintain open communication with your child’s school if they are absent. The school should also have parents’ contact information to communicate if the child was marked absent from school. 

Ensuring your child’s safety as they return to school requires attention to detail and proactive measures. Following these guidelines can help create a safer environment for your child and contribute to a positive and secure school year. 

We believe in the well-being of our community and are here to support you with any legal needs that may arise. If you or a loved one gets injured during the new school year, don’t hesitate to contact our team at Sam & Ash Injury Law. We’ll listen to you, explain your legal options, and work to do What’s Right for you. Call us at 702-820-1234 or contact us online now.

Sam & Ash — Because You Deserve What’s Right.