Safety tips for back to school

Back-to-school time means many different things depending on who you are. If you’re not a parent, it can simply mean more traffic during your morning commute. But for parents, back-to-school season means new classes, new schools for some and the potential exposure to new risks of injury.

With school right around the corner, it is important for parents and children to understand safety precautions for going back to school. Below are a few tips for making your child’s school year a safe and successful one.

Back-to-School Safety

Pedestrian Safety

According to Safe Kids Worldwide, pedestrian accidents are considered the fifth highest cause of injury-related fatalities for children between the ages of 5 and 19. If you child is walking to or from school, it is important to go over these important tips:

  • Practice the walk to and from school to make sure your child knows where to go.

  • Walk at crosswalks and the child remembers to look both ways before crossing the street.

  • Face traffic while walking if there is no walkway or sidewalk.

  • Make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street at crosswalks or intersections to make sure the driver sees the child and is fully stopped.

  • Stay alert and avoid any type of distracted walking.

  • Tell the child not to talk to or accept rides from strangers.

Bike Safety

If your child bikes to school, especially if they bike alone, going over these bicycle safety tips before the start of school can be helpful in keeping them safe:

  • Wear a properly fitting helmet and check the brakes, tires and the height of the seat before riding.

  • Ride on the right side of the road with traffic if there are no sidewalks. If biking in a group, bike in a single file line.

  • Stop completely at intersections and crosswalks.

  • Stay alert and avoid distractions.

  • Practice the bike ride to and from school to make sure your child knows where to go.

Bus Safety

If your child rides the bus, remind them of the importance of these bus safety tips to help prepare them for the upcoming year:

  • Practice walking to and from the bus stop.

  • Teach your children to never go in front of or behind a bus where the driver may not see them.

  • Tell your child to always wear a seatbelt on the bus.

  • Step back two to three large steps from the curb.

  • Stay alert and avoid distractions while waiting for the bus.

  • Never cross the street in front of a bus until the stop sign is out.

In-School Safety

It’s important for children to be aware of their surroundings while in school and know what to do in case of emergencies. Here are a few things to consider having a conversation with your children about regarding in-school safety:

  • Remain aware of surroundings.

  • Know who to talk to in case of emergencies.

  • Identify where to go in case of emergencies.

  • Eat and drink correctly if your child has allergies.

After-School Safety

Many parents are unable to be home when children finish school for the day. If your child or children stay home alone after school, have a conversation about the following topics:

  • Locking the doors.

  • Not opening the door for strangers.

  • Using appliances for after-school snacks.

  • Creating a plan in case of emergencies (include a list of emergency phone numbers).

Injured in an accident?

Hupy and Abraham would like to remind everyone to safely share the roads with school buses, pedestrians and bicyclists, and provide children with the necessary knowledge to stay safe when heading to school and going home.

By following these tips, Hupy and Abraham hopes you and your children will be safe this school year. But in the unfortunate event that you or a loved one is injured during the school year, please contact our personal injury lawyers by calling 800-800-5678 for a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation today.

Jill Erin Wellskopf
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Director of Marketing, Hupy and Abraham