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Back to School Safety Advisory: NHTSA Offers Tips to Keep Kids Safe


American Government

Back to School Safety Advisory: NHTSA Offers Tips to Keep Kids Safe

NHTSA
September 4, 2013


NHTSA 25-13
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Contact: Karen Aldana, 202-366-9550, Public.Affairs@dot.gov


An average of 17 school-age children die in school transportation-related crashes each year


WASHINGTON – Fall is approaching, and with it comes shorter days and the start of the school year. Road travel increases and traffic patterns shift, so this busy time of year can also be a dangerous one – especially for children.

Fewer daylight hours can make it harder for motorists to see young students. More school-age pedestrians have been killed between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. and between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. than any other times of day. * (NHTSA statistics, 2002-2011)

Whether walking, riding a bicycle, or catching a school bus or public transportation to travel to and from school, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is reminding parents and students of safe transportation practices to ensure that kids arrive to and from school safely.

School Bus: School buses are the safest mode of transportation for getting children back and forth to school. Even so, kids need to be especially careful around the school bus "danger zone" – 10 feet in front, 10 feet behind, and on each side of the bus. Kids should:

Walking: Pedestrians 10 years old and younger should be accompanied by an adult or young adult on their way to and from school. Kids should:

Biking: The two best protections when biking to and from school are a properly fitted bicycle helmet and a good grasp of traffic safety rules. Kids should:

Car: Children should always ride in the back seat. Children in the front seat are 40 percent more likely to be injured in crashes.

One last tip: whether walking, biking or driving, stay completely focused on the road and put your cell phone away. For more back-to-school safety tips and to reinforce children's pedestrian, bicycle, school bus and/or public transportation habits, visit Parents Central.

Stay connected with NHTSA via: Facebook.com/NHTSA | Twitter.com/NHTSAgov | YouTube.com/USDOTNHTSA | SaferCar.gov




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