As each new school year starts, there are children who will ride the bus, walk along sidewalks, and ride bikes to school. Parents and other drivers can follow a few safety tips to protect these children.
Bus Safety
According to reports released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, riding the bus is about 13 times safer than riding in a car to school. More children who are passengers in other vehicles as they are traveling to and from school. The average age for injured children is four to seven years. There are laws that drivers must abide by so that children are safe when getting on and off the bus and while the bus is in motion.
Drivers need to pay attention to the lights on school buses. Yellow lights indicate that the bus is preparing to stop, and red lights are displayed when the bus has completely stopped. In addition, a stop sign appears on the side when the bus is picking up or dropping off a child. All 50 states have laws making it illegal to pass a stopped school bus. Drivers in both directions on an undivided highway must stop when the red lights are displayed. Enough room should be allowed between the bus and the car to allow the child to get from one area to another. About 10 feet is adequate room around the bus for the child to safely get on and off. It is important for drivers to pay attention to the activities around the bus since children don’t always notice situations that could become dangerous.
Children Walking
Any pedestrian has the right of way when walking at an intersection. An adult should walk with children on the way to school so that there is supervision. Drivers should not stop in the middle of a crosswalk as this forces children to walk in the street to get around the vehicle. If a driver sees flashing lights at a crosswalk, he or she must yield to the pedestrians.
Biking To School
Students who choose to ride a bike to school must abide by the same laws as other drivers. Bikers can be hard to see in side mirrors, so drivers need to pay close attention to their surroundings if they suspect there is someone riding behind them. When passing a bicycle, about three feet of space should be left between the car and the bike. Most accidents take place when a car turns into the path of an oncoming bike. One way to help prevent accidents is by watching driveways and side streets as cyclists can pull out into the traffic.
Contact Us
If your child has sustained an injury while on the way to school, you may be entitled to compensation.Contact Jeffrey Harlan Penneys, Esq. at 1-800InjuryLaw (1-800-465-8795) immediately for a free consultation.