Back to School Safety Checklist

As you start preparing for the start of another school year, it’s easy to forget about basic safety. And after a long summer, your kids have likely forgotten these safety tips as well. So, take the time to review some safety tips with your kids to help them get through the year safe and sound.

Transportation Safety

Getting to school can be dangerous, especially if you’re not careful. No matter what method of transportation your kids use to get to school, there are a couple of precautions they can take to ensure they get to school and back safely.

Walking

• Make sure to walk on the sidewalk whenever possible.
• If a sidewalk isn’t available, walk on the edge of the street facing the flow of traffic.
• If you’re crossing the street, check for oncoming traffic by looking left, right and left again.
• If you’re crossing at a crosswalk, make eye contact with drivers to make 100% sure they see you before crossing.
• Wherever possible, cross at crosswalks or intersections.
• Avoid distracted walking.

Riding Your Bike

• Ride on the street in single file and with the flow of traffic.
• If you’re planning to cross a street, come to a complete stop and walk your bike across the crossing.
• Wear a properly fitted helmet and bright clothing while riding your bike.

Bus Riders

• Make sure that you stay three giant steps away from the curb at the bus stop.
• Use the handholds to get on and off the bus safely.
• If you must cross the street in front of the bus, make sure to do it far away enough that the bus driver can see you.

Car Drivers

• If you drop your kid off at school, you should also consider a couple of safety precautions to keep you and the children around the school safe.
• Obey the school zone traffic laws, including speed limits as well as drop off and pick up procedures.
• Never pass a bus that’s unloading or loading children.
• Make eye contact with any children crossing the street.

Teen Drivers

Teens have some of the highest car accident rates, and car crashes are the number one cause of death among teenagers. Here are some helpful tips that will avoid making your teenage kid one of those statistics:

Practice driving in a variety of different places and situations. Teenagers tend to crash due to inexperience. So, by driving often, they can learn and react to many different situations.

Set a good example.

School Safety

Once your child has gotten to school safely, they will still need to navigate the risks posed in the school. In terms of backpacks, you should make sure that your child has an ergonomic backpack. Teach your child to use both straps to prevent posture problems later. Also, make sure they don’t overload their backpacks. Ideally, they shouldn’t weigh more than 10% of your child’s body weight.

If your school has safety procedures in place, be sure to review them with your child before school starts up.

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