Focus on safety as school year gets started

It’s back-to-school time once again. This season is filled with excitement as kids return to classrooms and families return to their normal routines.

It’s also a time that comes with some risks as people readjust to the sight of school buses in our neighborhoods and kids walking to and from school. Just one mistake can lead to devastating results.

Reading police Chief Richard Tornielli recently shared a series of valuable National Safety Council tips for students, parents and motorists:

Walking to school

• Walk on the sidewalk, if one is available; when on a street with no sidewalk, walk facing the traffic.

• Before you cross the street, stop and look left, right and left again to see if cars are coming.

• Make eye contact with drivers before crossing and always cross streets at crosswalks or intersections. Cross where crossing guards are on duty when possible.

• Avoid distractions. Never walk while texting. If you need to text, move out of the way of others and stop on the sidewalk. Never cross the street while using an electronic device. Do not wear earbuds while walking across the street.

Bicycling

• Ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, and in single file.

• Come to a complete stop before crossing the street; walk bikes across the street.

• Stay alert and avoid distracted riding.

• Make sure your child always wears a properly fitted helmet and bright clothing.

Riding the bus

• Go to the bus stop with your child to teach the proper way to get on and off the bus.

• Teach your children to stand 6 feet (or three giant steps) away from the curb.

• If your child must cross the street in front of the bus, teach him or her to walk on the side of the road until they are 10 feet ahead of the bus; your child and the bus driver should always be able to see each other.

Driving to school

• Stay alert and avoid distracted driving

• Obey school zone speed limits and follow your school’s drop-off procedure

• Make eye contact with children crossing the street

Tips for motorists

Motorists must be alert while driving, especially in school zones and residential neighborhoods. The NSC provides the following tips for motorists:

• Don’t block the crosswalk when stopped at a red light or waiting to make a turn, forcing pedestrians to go around you; this could put them in the path of moving traffic.

• In a school zone, when flashers are blinking, stop and yield to pedestrians crossing the crosswalk or intersection. Always stop for a school patrol officer or crossing guard holding up a stop sign.

• Look out for children in school zones, near playgrounds and parks, and residential areas.

• Don’t honk or rev your engine to scare a pedestrian, even if you have the right of way

• Never pass a vehicle stopped for pedestrians.

• If you’re driving behind a bus, allow a greater following distance than if you were driving behind a car Never pass a bus from behind — or from either direction if you’re on an undivided road — if it is stopped to load or unload children. It is illegal to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children. The penalty is a stiff fine and a suspended license.

• If the yellow or red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended, traffic must stop.

• The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children; stop far enough back to allow them space to safely enter and exit the bus.

• When passing a bicyclist, proceed in the same direction slowly, and leave 3 feet between your car and the cyclist.

• The most common cause of collision is a driver turning left in front of a bicyclist. Watch for bike riders turning without looking or signaling; children especially have a tendency to do this.

• Watch for bikes coming from driveways or behind parked cars.