BACK TO SCHOOL SAFETY TIPS FOR ADULTS & KIDS

MAKING THE FIRST DAY EASIER

Remind your child that she is not the only student

who is a bit uneasy about the first day of school.

Teachers know that students are anxious and will make

an extra effort to make sure everyone feels as comfortable as possible.

Point out the positive aspects of starting school:

It will be fun. She'll see old friends and meet new ones.

Refresh her positive memories about previous years,

when she may have returned home after

the first day with high spirits because she had a good time.

Find another child in the neighborhood with whom your youngster

can walk to school or ride with on the bus.

If you feel it is appropriate, drive your child

(or walk with her) to school and pick her up on the first day.

BACKPACK SAFETY

Choose a backpack with wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded back.

Pack light. Organize the backpack to use all of its compartments.

Pack heavier items closest to the center of the back.

The backpack should never weigh more than 10 to 20 percent of your child’s body weight.

Always use both shoulder straps. Slinging a backpack over one shoulder can strain muscles.

If your school allows, consider a rolling backpack.

This type of backpack may be a good choice for students who must tote a heavy load.

 Remember that rolling backpacks still must be carried up stairs,

and they may be difficult to roll in snow.

TRAVELING TO AND FROM SCHOOL
Review the basic rules with your youngster:

School Bus

If your child’s school bus has lap/shoulder seat belts,

make sure your child uses one at all times when in the bus.

If your child’s school bus does not have lap/shoulder belts,

encourage the school to buy or lease buses with lap/shoulder belts.

Wait for the bus to stop before approaching it from the curb.

Do not move around on the bus.

Check to see that no other traffic is coming before crossing the street.

Make sure to always remain in clear view of the bus driver.

Children should always board and exit the bus at locations

 that provide safe access to the bus or to the school building.

Car

All passengers should wear a seat belt and/or an age-

and size-appropriate car safety seat or booster seat.

Your child should ride in a car safety seat with a harness as long as possible

 and then ride in a belt-positioning booster seat.

Your child is ready for a booster seat when she has reached the top weight

or height allowed for her seat, her shoulders are above the top harness slots,

or her ears have reached the top of the seat.

Your child should ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle's

seat belt fits properly (usually when the child reaches about 4' 9"

in height and is between 8 to 12 years of age).

This means that the child is tall enough to sit against the vehicle

 seat back with her legs bent at the knees and feet hanging down

and the shoulder belt lies across the middle of the chest and shoulder,

 not the neck or throat; the lap belt is low and snug across the thighs, and not the stomach.

All children younger than 13 years of age should ride in the rear seat of vehicles.

 If you must drive more children than can fit in the rear seat

 (when carpooling, for example), move the front-seat passenger’s seat

as far back as possible and have the child ride in a booster seat

if the seat belts do not fit properly without it.

Remember that many crashes occur while novice teen drivers

are going to and from school. You should require seat belt use,

 limit the number of teen passengers, do not allow eating, drinking,

cell phone conversations or texting to prevent driver distraction;

and limit nighttime driving and driving in inclement weather.

Familiarize yourself with your state’s graduated driver license

law and consider the use of a parent-teen driver agreement to

facilitate the early driving learning process. For a sample

 parent-teen driver agreement, see www.healthychildren.org/teendriver

Bike

Always wear a bicycle helmet, no matter how short or long the ride.

Ride on the right, in the same direction as auto traffic.

Use appropriate hand signals.

Respect traffic lights and stop signs.

Wear bright color clothing to increase visibility.

Know the "rules of the road."

Walking to School

Make sure your child's walk to a school is a safe route

with well-trained adult crossing guards at every intersection.

Be realistic about your child's pedestrian skills.

Because small children are impulsive and less cautious around traffic,

carefully consider whether or not your child is ready to walk to school without adult supervision.

If your children are young or are walking to a new school,

walk with them the first week or until you are sure they know the route and can do it safely.

Bright colored clothing will make your child more visible to drivers.

In neighborhoods with higher levels of traffic, consider starting a

 “walking school bus,” in which an adult accompanies a group of

 neighborhood children walking to school.