Whether your children are walking, riding the school bus or riding a bicycle, be sure to review these tips to ensure they are as safe as possible on their way to and from school.

Walking

• Map out a safe route to school and walk it with your children for a few days so they become familiar with it.
• Make sure your child crosses at intersections where there is a crossing guard.
• Have children wear bright clothing that can be seen by drivers.
• Start a neighborhood school walk by having a parent accompany a group of children to school. Take turns supervising, allowing others to rotate the chaperoning duties throughout the week.

Riding the School Bus

• Check if the school bus has lap and/or shoulder seat belts and if so, make sure your child uses them at all times. If no belts are available, make sure your child knows to stay seated when the bus is in motion.
• Instruct your child to wait for the bus to stop completely before trying to board or exit.
• Teach children to look both ways before crossing the street.
• Make sure children are aware that they need to remain in clear view of the bus driver when moving around the bus.

Biking

• Make sure your child always wears a bicycle helmet.
• If sidewalks or trails aren’t an option, teach children to ride in the same direction as traffic, on the right side of the road.
• Show your child the appropriate hand signals for turning.
• Explain the “rules of the road”— obey stop signs and traffic lights.
• Put your child in bright clothing to increase visibility to drivers.

For more back-to-school safety tips from the National Safety Council, visit nsc.org.