These aren’t quite the days when kids of all ages were turned loose at dawn to make their own way to school by bus, foot, or bike, but plenty of young students are still given more independence for their commute than they may be prepared for. As students across the country return to school for the 2017-18 school year, police departments everywhere have a few cautions in common.
For students
Make sure that your young student can tell you what the plan is to get them to and from school every day. This is mostly about the youngest kids. Are they always picked up by the same person in the same car? Can they tell you or a teacher the full name of both parents, and what color their car is? If there are custodial issues, do they know their schedule? Do they know your phone number and address? Quiz them until they do—it’s all well and good to have a card in their backpack or data on file with the school, but it’s great to help your young student help themselves.
Also, reinforce your family rules on crossing the street with care, on helmet safety, anything that’s going to be a protection for your child. Make sure you’re following them yourself; your child is watching you for cues.
For parents:
Be careful around schools. You may be running late, stressed, or distracted with your own daily plans, but set all of that aside when you are behind the wheel near any school or school bus. Pedestrian traffic that is mostly minors can be very erratic, and it just takes a second to make a mistake that can’t be undone.
It’s worth it to make time in those first few weeks to arrive early or be able to stay a little late, to get out of your car at the school and meet the staff who manage the bus lines, school administrators, or even the parents of their friends. Making sure you know their faces and they know yours helps protect every student.
Get some other safety tips for students of all ages, and their parents, at the Red Cross website.