As the school year begins, let's make sure students arrive safely

As a grandfather of nine, I take the safety of our nation’s children personally.  So, with summer drawing to a close and students returning to school, I want to remind parents, caregivers, and everyone traveling on our nation’s roads to stay alert and drive responsibly so our kids can arrive at their classrooms and return home safely.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2,847 school-aged children were killed in traffic related crashes in 2010. A greater proportion of those deaths occurred in the afternoon --between 3 and 4 p.m.-- than at any other time of day.

These tragic deaths and thousands of injuries can be prevented if drivers pay extra attention to basic safety tips:

• Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods and school zones, before and after school hours.
• Watch out for kids crossing in the middle of the block, instead of intersections.
• Give pedestrians the right of way at a crosswalk.
• And make sure to give the road your full attention by putting away your cell phone until you’ve safely reached your destination.

In addition, when driving your children to school or daycare, remember to carefully secure each child in the proper child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt, based on the child’s age and size. Not sure what size seat is right? Visit NHTSA's Parents Central safety website for easy-to-follow guidelines.

NHTSA is also helping students travel safely with its new nationwide traffic safety campaign, Think Safe, Ride Safe, Be Safe!, featuring characters from the animated series Chuggington™. This safety program lists precautions that students should take when traveling to school by bus, foot, bike, or car.

Look, we know that kids can be unpredictable. They don't always follow safety guidelines. And as hard as NHTSA works to educate children about the steps they can take to get themselves safely to school and back, the safety burden still remains on us, America's drivers.

So let's pay attention; let's follow the simple tips above; and let's make this school year the safest one ever.

Comments

[Roshni Patel]

It is utmost important to keep safety while driving or crossing the road, as the facts say nearly 2,847 children were killed due to road accidents in 2010, and that too at time between 3 to 4 P.M, the reason is because it is normal school leaving time and it is the time when students usually get over with the school lectures and are way back to home.
The suggestion could be redirect the traffic in such a boom time to any other way, and keep no entry till the period from 3 to 5/6, and educate children about the safety to be taken while crossing the road.
Also set speed limits and construct various speed breakers near the school roads in order to slow down the speed of the vehicles approaching the road to school. http://www.mrlshipping.com

[Natalie Van Dyke]

Disappointed there was not a single reference to school buses and their safety record. School buses are the safest way for students to get too and from school and for the 2,847 deaths you referenced it may have been appropriate to break out percentage of fatalities which happened in a parent/relative's vehicle as opposed to the safter school bus.

[cheap jerseys]

This is of vital importance to keep safe and driving or cross the street, because the truth is nearly 2847 children died in 2010 because of road traffic accident, also in between 3 to 4 P. M, the reason is because it is normal school time to leave and its time, students usually in and school lectures and are back to home.