Louisiana Attorney Lists Top 10 Back to School Traffic Safety Tips
Louisiana Attorney Frank Tomeny lists tips for drivers to stay safe in back to school traffic.
As kids and their parents get back into the school mindset, it’s important to keep traffic safety in mind. Louisiana streets can get busy during mornings and afternoons, and the possibility of an accident is common. Personal Injury Attorney Frank Tomeny notes the Top 10 Safety Tips to follow for back to school traffic safety.
As the new school year begins, kids will be walking, crossing streets, and riding their bikes on the sides of the roads. Be sure to talk to your kids about getting to and from school safely.
Here are 10 tips for adults and children on back-to-school traffic safety:
Adults
- Don’t, don’t, don’t text and drive. Don’t talk on your phone or send text messages while you’re driving. Texting and driving causes nearly 6000 deaths a year and over half a million injuries. Be a safer driver, and don’t text while driving.
- Watch out for hot spots. Keep an eye out for those child “hot spots”. This includes bus stops, school zones, and playground areas.
- Yield to school buses. Don’t try to pass the bus. It can get you a moving violation (and it’s just plain rude too). If a bus has a flashing, alternating red light, you are legally required to stop and wait for the light to turn off.
- Expect the unexpected. Children can jump out unexpectedly. Follow the speed limit, yield to crossing guards and always be alert.
- Budget extra travel time. School areas can have heavy traffic. Be sure to allow for more time to get where you’re going. Extra time will allow
Children
- Exercise crosswalk safety. Tell your kids to cross streets only at crosswalks or stoplights and to always looks both ways before crossing.
- Use the buddy system. Make sure you have the contact information of your child’s walking buddy and know their walking route. If the children are under 10, you may want to consider having an adult chaperone present.
- Avoid danger zones. Tell your children to avoid walking or riding bikes behind school buses and other dangerous blind spots.
- Practice school bus safety. Train your kids to be very careful when exiting the bus. School bus fatalities can occur when kids run out in front of the bus or get struck by passing cars.
- Wear bike safety equipment. Children who bike to school should wear helmets, light-colored clothing and reflective devices.
For more tips, check out FindLaw’s informative section on Traffic Laws.
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