Back-to-School Safety Tips

It’s back to school season and drivers need to be extra alert as children walk and bike to school. Whether you are taking your kids to school or just driving through a school zone, you can do your part to keep kids safe. For the month of August, the Hillcrest Safety team would like to remind employees and motorists of these Back-To-School safety tips:

Reminders for drivers:
• Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods and school zones
• Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs
• Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully
• Watch for children on and near the road in the morning and after school hours
• Reduce any distractions inside your car and concentrate on the road and your surroundings. Put down your phone and don’t talk or text while driving

Reminders for kids:
• Cross the street with an adult at least until the age of 10 years old
• Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks
• Never run out into the streets or cross in between parked cars
• Always walk in front of the bus where the driver can see them

Here are a few additional back-to-school safety tips:
• Read the school’s student manual
• Locate quick exit points out of the building from each classroom
• Know where the fire alarm pull station is located
• Download a weather app to mobile devices
• Never allow someone to pressure them into activities or behavior that seem wrong
• Learn safe lifting techniques for those heavy backpacks, instruments or sports equipment