“It is so important for drivers to slow down and pay attention when children are present- especially before and after school,” Andrews said.
If you’re dropping off:
• Do not double park; it blocks visibility for other children and vehicles.
• Do not load and unload children across the street from the school.
• Carpool to reduce the number of vehicles at the school.
Sharing the Road with Young Pedestrians
• Do not 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.
• Take extra care to look out for children in school zones, near playgrounds and parks, and in all residential areas.
• Do not honk or rev your engine to scare a pedestrian, even if you have the right of way.
• Never pass a vehicle stopped for pedestrians wherever they may be, no matter who has the right of way.
Sharing the Road with School Buses
• Never pass a bus stopped to load or unload children from either direction if you are on an undivided road.
• 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.
• Be alert; children often are unpredictable, and they tend to ignore hazards and take risks.
According to the American School Bus Council, passing vehicles cause an estimated two-thirds of school bus loading and unloading fatalities.
“By exercising a little extra care and caution, drivers and pedestrians can co-exist safely in school zones,” Andrews said.