Safety Tips for Heading Back to School

■ SAFETY CORNER Safety Tips for Heading Back to School

August is filled with last-minute summer fun and preparations for the back-to-school season. As students and families ease into their routines and the local roads become busier with walkers, bikers, and drivers, please take a moment to review some essential considerations as we share the street to keep everyone on our roadways safe.

For some parents, the new school year is a repeat of previous years, and they know what to expect, a backup of vehicles in carpool lines, school zone speed limits, new crosswalks and crossing guards, and bicyclists. For some parents or inexperienced drivers, this is a new experience, and they should be mindful of increased traffic around school zones. When planning your day's activities, please leave extra time and pack a little extra patience, especially as the school year starts. Slow down in school zones to the posted speed limit, and yield to pedestrians. Pay closer attention to changes in traffic patterns and make any necessary accommodations or considerations to share the road safely.

Parents/caregivers of teen drivers should plan and review the expected driving route to school together and their expectations for safe driving. Safe driving should always include wearing a seat belt, paying attention to speed limits, and avoiding having too many passengers or any distractions such as loud music or texting while driving. Parents and teens should be familiar with Florida's Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws, which allow teen drivers to safely gain driving experience under lower-risk conditions before obtaining full driving privileges. These laws outline limits and restrictions for new drivers ages 15 through 17 and are designed to help teens gradually and safely build their skills and experience behind the wheel. For more information on Florida's GDL Law, please visit https://www.flhsmv.gov.

If your child rides a bike to school, it's important that they know the rules of the road and avoid any distractions while riding. Always wear a properly fitted bike helmet every time they ride a bike. For help with how to properly fit a bike helmet, please review this safety video https:// www.safekids.org/video/safety-seconds-bike-helmets from Safe Kids Worldwide or make an appointment for a helmet fitting with Weston's BSO Fire Rescue Life Safety Educator by calling 954-991-3501. Wear bright clothing so bicyclists are more visible to drivers and always ride in the bike lane in the direction of traffic.

Bus riding children should know their bus pick-up and drop-off locations. Children are encouraged to stay at least six feet away from the road while waiting for the bus. Children should also be reminded to wait until the bus stops before approaching and not to run into the road for any reason.

If your child plans to walk to school, parents should develop and review a walking safety plan. Children should always walk on the sidewalk whenever possible, know how to cross the street safely, and limit or eliminate distractions such as reading, texting, and electronic toys while walking. Be sure children learn to make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street. Parents may want to consider practicing their walking safety plan with children in advance for younger children.

Back-to-school is an exciting time for many. These safety tips can and should be followed year-round. However, as traffic on our roadways increases, back-to-school time is a great time for all of us to be reminded about the simple steps we can take to reduce the incidents of accidents and/or injuries and share the road safely.