As school starts across most of the country, it’s time to sharpen our senses and refresh our “school safety” skills.

Here are some tips for both motorists and pedestrians to stay safe in school zones.

Drivers:

• Welcome back school buses to the road and take extra caution around them. Anticipate children, especially in a school bus “danger zone” — the area around a bus where most injuries and deaths occur.
• Stop for the red flashing lights on buses or when their stop arms are extended. Red flashing lights on buses indicate students are entering or exiting the bus. Motorists must stop at least 20 feet from a school bus that is displaying red flashing lights – both when driving behind a bus and when approaching it in the opposite direction.
• Reduce speeds around bus stops and in school zones.
• Watch for school crosswalks. If a crossing guard’s STOP paddle is up, you can’t drive through a crosswalk no matter if the guard is standing on the sidewalk or is in the crosswalk.
• Check for no parking signs before dropping your children off curbside. Many posted signs prohibit stopping of any kind, which includes dropping off or picking up your children.
• Pay attention to the no-turn signs as you leave your child’s school. Many left turns are prohibited into and out of many of the driveways.

Pedestrians:
• Cross only at intersections or crosswalks.
• Obey all crosswalk signals and traffic signs.
• Don’t enter a crosswalk if a vehicle is too close or moving too fast to stop safely.

Seton offers a variety of crosswalk signs and school zone signs to make the areas around your school safer for both motorists and pedestrians alike.

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