Back to School Safety Tips for Drivers

It is a driver’s responsibility to keep children as well as pedestrians safe. Around the world, special laws have been enforced near school zones to ensure the safety of children. Some of these laws have been formulated to help drivers navigate around school zones. Unfortunately, children are not always aware of these laws. Also, some children ignore them deliberately. It, thus, falls upon drivers to ensure all federal and state laws are being followed in school zones.

How to Drive in School Zones?

Drivers must be especially cautious around school zones, parks, and playgrounds as children often crowd these areas. If you are driving in an area where the likeliness of children being present is high, you must stay vigilant. Children throw themselves into the middle of traffic without any warning. Being cautious will allow you to avoid any accidents. Here are a few tips on how to drive around school zones and other areas where children may be present.

• – Be attentive and do not let your eye wander from the road
• – Do not drive at high speed
• – Always give pedestrians enough area to cross. An excellent way to do this is to stop before the crosswalk
• – When flashers start blinking, wait for walkers to finish crossing to the other side
• – Avoid overtaking any vehicle on roads with children
• – Always listen to crosswalk attendants and school patrol officials

How to Drive Around Young Bicyclists?

Bicyclists are also supposed to abide by the same traffic rules as the drivers of other vehicles. However, young bicyclists do not adequately understand these traffic laws and thus, may make mistakes while on the road. If you are driving on a road with a high number of young bicyclists, here are a few things you can do to ensure no accidents happen:

• – Always look out for young bicyclists coming out of unlikely places, such as the space between parked cars
• – Always keep an eye on your side-mirrors, more so when you are taking a turn or while opening your car’s door
• – Always leave ample distance between your vehicle and the bicycle
• – Drive slow

How to Drive on Roads with School Buses?

Traffic rules clearly state that overtaking a school bus flashing stop signs is illegal. This law stands valid in all the states of America. Drivers who pass a bus that has halted to pick or drop children incur hefty fines. Moreover, since most accidents happen in the 10-foot perimeter around a school bus, it is best to steer clear of this area. Here are a few tips on how to drive on roads with school buses:

• – Make sure there is enough distance between your car and the school bus. Ideally, you should stop your vehicle at least 10 feet before the bus
• – If you see a school bus on the road, slow down and drive cautiously

The Final Word

When you are on the road, the question of someone being right or wrong is irrelevant. What matters is you must do everything to ensure the safety of every person on the street. Driving slow and cautiously is a good idea, especially when children are in sight. Kids will soon be returning to school, and roads will become congested with school buses. When this happens, make sure you are following all state and federal traffic laws at all times and doing everything you possibly can to avoid any accidents.

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