Whether your kids are looking forward to school or dreading it, chances are you have some safety concerns about the back-to-school season. A big part of this concern centers on keeping your young children safe from pedestrian and car accidents as they travel to school and back home again.
You may feel powerless to make a difference, but here are a few tips that you can use to teach your kids about traffic safety and keep them safe from pedestrian and car accidents.
- Walking Safety: While walking to and from school an adult should accompany children 10-years-old and younger. This gives parents the opportunity to teach their children how to walk in safety and how to navigate roadways.
- Busing Safety: Most safety experts agree that sending kids to school on a bus is a great way to enhance their safety. However, children still need to learn how to approach the school bus safely.
- Biking Safety: When it comes to riding a bike to school, the two best ways to stay safe is to wear appropriate safety gear like helmets and to have a good understanding of safety and traffic rules.
- Car Passenger Safety: For carpooling and for parents who drive their children to school, enforcing basic safety measures is the best way to prevent injury should a car accident occur. This includes the proper use of safety belts for all passengers. It is also safest to seat children under 12 in the back seat of automobiles.
While it is not always possible to avoid car accidents, education and safety training goes a long way toward keeping children safe in North Carolina. If your child does suffer car accident injuries, consider seeking legal advice as a way to prevent unsafe drivers from harming other kids.
Source: SaferCar.gov, “Top 5 Tips to Keep Your Children Safe On Their Way to and From School,” accessed Sept. 1, 2017
