BOISE – Governor Brad Little has proclaimed this week to be School Zone Safety Week, and AAA is reminding the public to help protect children traveling to and from school.
100 children are killed every year walking to and from school, with another 25,000 seriously injured.
“At the beginning of every school year, most of us experience changes in our routine, whether it’s transporting kids to school or simply adjustments in our commute,” says AAA Idaho public affairs director Matthew Conde. “The days are getting darker, and if we’re a little rusty on how to handle school zones and stopped school buses, it’s critical to develop or refresh good driving habits.”
AAA’s tips for drivers
• Watch for children in residential neighborhoods, school zones, and darting between cars. If possible, select a route that avoids neighborhoods and school zones altogether.
• Allow extra time to complete your commute without speeding and ditch the distractions.
• Never overtake a stopped school bus – it’s dangerous and illegal.
• Follow all instructions from flashing lights and crossing guards.
• Use daytime running lights and headlights to improve visibility.
The “SAFE” way to ride a bus
• Stay five steps back from the curb until the bus arrives.
• Always wait for the bus to come to a complete stop, and for the driver to signal you to cross.
• Face forward after finding a seat on the bus.
• Exit the bus after it comes to a complete stop. Look left, right, then left again before crossing the street – if a car is coming, the closest danger will usually come from the left.
“In some areas, parents band together to form a ‘walking school bus,’ taking turns accompanying large groups of kids to and from school,” Conde said. “Safety is an all-hands-on-deck proposition – we’ve got to pool our efforts to help our children and grandchildren have a successful school year.”
AAA’s School’s Open, Drive Carefully annual campaign has been in effect since 1946.