As School Bells Begin To Ring Again, Some Safety Tips For Students

Whether your child is entering Kindergarten for their first year of “real” school or is headed off to high school to start a true academic journey, there are some safety tips that kids of all ages can be reminded about to help avoid New Haven pedestrian accidents on the way to and from school each day.

With the start of the school year traffic throughout the Elm City increases dramatically as summer vacations are ending, buses are on the road more frequently and students are strapping on their backpacks and headed to school for the day. The early morning and late after hours are usually the busiest and those are the times when we all need to be extra careful to make sure that we’re not putting students at risk of being injured.

For the students it is important that they are reminded of certain safety steps they can take whether they are walking to school, taking the bus or riding their bike. Just like pedestrians who are strolling through the city on a day to day basis, students can set themselves up for a safe walk or ride to school or by ignoring these safety tips they can put themselves at risk of getting hurt and making their trek to school longer and more tedious if they do become injured.

On to the tips that can help keep kids safe as they travel to and from school.

1.) Be aware that the bus stop is not a playground or a place for any silliness. It can be fun to be at the bus stop with friends and start goofing off, but it can also be quite dangerous. If a student is not careful at the bus stop they could find themselves falling off the curb into traffic and that could have devastating impacts on their well-being.

2.) The spot your child chooses to stand at the bus stop should be safe and off the street a bit. While sidewalks are not always wide enough to give your child a lot of space, you should point out to them that they should stand well back from the curb to avoid any accidents. If there is room where they are being picked up by the bus you should encourage them to stand a full six feet away from the curb until the bus arrives. This will give your child plenty of space to stand safely away from traffic.

3.) Before boarding the school bus remind your child that she/he should wait until the bus comes to a complete stop before approaching it. There should be no pushing or fighting to be first in line to get on the bus and all kids at the bus stop should form a single file line as they approach the bus to board. Any silly business when boarding the bus could lead to significant injuries for all involved.

The biggest injury risk for kids when headed to the first day of school can often come at the bus stop. If they do not follow some simple safety guidelines they could find themselves getting into a New Haven pedestrian accident which could cause significant injury. There is nothing worse for a kid than to start the school year with a serious injury that could require them to be on crutches or have other accommodations made for their safety. It is important that you remind your child, no matter how old she/he is that staying safe at the bus stop on the way to school can help them have a wonderfully successful school year.

To all the parents and kids in the Elm City area we wish you a safe and happy school year.