It’s Pedestrian Safety Month in California, and this is a good time for each of us to remember what we can do to make our streets safer: slow down and pay attention. As we head out of the summer months (if not summer weather), streets around schools can get very busy. Last month, we reminded you about how to make sure all students get back to school safely.
Today we're providing a few more tips and resources for parents to pass along to their busy students. Getting the message to your kids — especially older kids — about staying safe can be difficult.
Our Vision Zero partners at the San Francisco Department of Public Health share safety reminders each year and have a lot of great resources on their Safe Routes to Schools page. They can even help you make the streets around your school safer.
Some of their best tips for being safe when walking or bicycling are in Back to School Safety Tips (PDF).
- Stop at the curb or edge of the street.
- Look left, right, left and behind you for traffic.
- Wait until no traffic is coming and begin crossing.
- Keep looking for traffic until you have finished crossing.
- Walk, don’t run across the street.
- Don’t use your phone when crossing the street.
More reminders and details are available from safekids.org.
- Teach kids to make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street.
- Encourage kids to be especially alert for cars that are turning or backing up.
- Teach kids not to run or dart out into the street or cross between parked cars.
- If kids are walking when it’s dark out, teach them to be especially alert and make sure they are visible to drivers. Have them wear light- or brightly-colored clothing and reflective gear.
Still need to get your kids’ attention? Maybe start the conversation with this Vision Zero rap video from a New York doctor who understands the importance of reaching kids with music — and the importance of keeping our streets safe.