MetroWest Public Safety Offers Back-to-School Tips to Protect Our Children

As Orange County schools begin classes August 10, MetroWest Public Safety urges everyone to follow these tips for safely sharing the roads with our children, whether they are walking, riding the bus, or riding their bikes to school.

When sharing the roads with young pedestrians:

• Don’t block the crosswalk when stopped at a red light or waiting to make a turn, forcing pedestrians to go around you and potentially putting them in the path of traffic
• When flashers are blinking in a school zone, stop and yield to crossing pedestrians
• Always stop for a school patrol officer or crossing guard holding up a stop sign
• Take extra care to look out for children in school zones and near playgrounds and parks
  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

When sharing the roads with school buses:

• If you’re driving behind a bus, allow a greater following distance than if you were driving behind a car to give you more time to stop once the yellow lights start flashing
• 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
• 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 away to allow them space to safely enter and exit the bus
• Be alert; children can be unpredictable, and they may ignore hazards and take risks

When sharing the roadways with kids riding bikes:

Bikes can be hard to see and children riding bikes create special challenges for drivers because they often aren’t able to accurately determine traffic conditions

• When passing a bicyclist, proceed in the same direction slowly, and leave three feet between your car and the cyclist
• When turning left and a bicyclist is approaching in the opposite direction, wait for the rider to pass
• If you’re turning right and a bicyclists is approaching from behind on the right, let the rider go through the intersection first, and always use your turn signals
• Watch for bike riders turning in front of you without looking or signaling; children especially have a tendency to do this
• Watch for bikes coming from driveways or behind parked cars
• Check side mirrors before opening your door