Children should be safe on the way to their buses, and as they walk home from school. The primary way to achieve this level of safety is with established traffic zones that are enforced when school is in session. However, a simple speed limit sign doesn’t always do the trick. Saferoutesinfo.org offers several useful tips for when it comes to keeping school zones safe.
1. Obey Traffic Signage
One of the biggest concerns and issues comes as a result of drivers disobeying traffic sign age that designates a school zone. Slower speed limits are put in place so that the risk of an accident is less likely, and instructional sign age and school zone beacons help to protect both drivers and pedestrians.
2. Drop Off Your Kids in the Designated Zone
Parents who drop their children off on the side of the road, beyond a school’s designated pick up and drop off point, can wind up putting their kids at risk. As not everyone properly obeys traffic laws, having your children to cross the street can be risky. This is especially important to remember during inclement weather when visibility is significantly reduced.
3. Eyes on the Road
With many bus stops placed on busy streets in various neighborhoods, it’s imperative to keep a diligent eye on the road and obey school bus lights and sign age. Children aren’t always thinking of their own safety—especially when they’re running late for school—and children hopping off the bus and across a street of oncoming traffic can be dangerous when drivers don’t have their eyes on the road. And, even if there isn’t a school bus present, if you’re in a school zone, always keep a watchful eye on the road in case of children who may stray from sidewalks and crosswalks.
4. Follow School Bus Rules
On the tail of number three, many drivers fail to obey the sign age and flashing lights on the back of school buses, instead of stopping and heeding the fact that children will be exiting the bus. Some drivers will even drive around a bus when its lights are flashing, and oncoming traffic may ignore the bus entirely. Children who exit a school bus sometimes have to cross the street, and most often they do this in front of the bus itself. Ignoring the safety warnings is incredibly dangerous.
Overall, it’s important to obey all safety signs and signals when in a school zone, and there’s a reason why companies provide so many traffic and warning systems. When it comes to keeping children in a school zone safe, it’s about much more than just driving slow.