Get to and from school safely

Parents have too many things to worry about these days, and no one wants to get a call from the school district or the fire department to hear they need to meet their child on the way to the hospital. Please go over these tips by yourself, and then go over them with any students in your household.

Riding the bus

School bus transportation is safe. Even so, last year about 26 students were killed nationwide and another 9,000 injured in incidents involving school buses. More often than not, these deaths and injuries didn’t occur in a crash, but as the pupils were entering and exiting the bus. Remember these safety tips:

• Have a safe place to wait for your bus, away from traffic and the street.

• Stay away from the bus until it comes to a complete stop and the driver signals you to enter.

• Never lose sight of the bus driver. If you can’t see the driver, the driver can’t see you.

• Always keep hands inside the bus and stay seated. Never stand up in a bus until you get to your destination.

• When being dropped off, exit the bus and walk 10 giant steps away from the bus. Keep a safe distance between you and the bus. Also, remember that the bus driver can see you best when you are back away from the bus.

• Use the handrail to enter and exit the bus.

• Stay away from the bus until the driver gives his/her signal that it’s OK to approach.

• Other drivers on the road are required to follow certain traffic rules, but don’t always do, so be careful walking home.

Walking or biking

to school

Even if you don’t ride in a motor vehicle, you still have to protect yourself. Because of minimal supervision, young pedestrians face a wide variety situations and dangers while walking to and from school. Here are a few basic safety tips to follow:

• Have a parent walk the path with you the very first time.

• Stay away from parks, vacant lots, fields and other places that are dimly lit.

• Mind all traffic signals and/or the crossing guard. Never cross the street against a light, even if you don’t see any traffic coming.

• Walk your bike through intersections.

• Walk with a buddy. Family, friend, trusted neighbor, but somebody trustworthy.

• Wear bright and reflective material; it makes you more visible to street traffic.

• When riding a bicycle, always wear a helmet that meets safety standards.

Riding in a car

• You might have heard before that most traffic crashes occur close to home. They do.

• Safety belts are the best form of protection passengers have in the event of a crash. They can lower your risk of injury by 45 percent.

• You are four times more likely to be seriously injured or killed if ejected from the vehicle in a crash.

• Everyone needs to be buckled up properly. That means older kids in seat belts, younger kids in booster seats and little kids in child safety seats.

For all students, make sure you know how to call for help. Scream for help if you need it, do not be afraid to call 911 if you are in danger or threatened, and run toward crowds of people if you are being followed. It is very important that if anyone ever makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, tell a teacher or employee at school or your parent as soon as possible. Lives have been saved because children told their teachers or their families and a patrol started that caught a dangerous person.

Christian M Hartley is a lieutenant with the Houston Fire Department and its public information officer. Questions or comments can be directed to hartley@myopinionmatters.org.