Our Education Team works each year with students to teach them how to ride and walk responsibly on their way to school. Ultimately, though, it’s the adults driving cars near schools and in residential areas who have the most responsibility for keeping children safe on their way to class. With that in mind, we wanted to provide a few back to school safety tips for drivers to make sure everyone makes it safely to school this year.

1. Go slowly. Speed is the number one factor in whether a pedestrian walks away from a collision with a car. If a person walking is hit by a driver going 20 miles per hour, they have a 9 in 10 chance of surviving. If the driver is going 40 mph, the person walking only has a 1 in 10 chance of surviving. Slow down, especially near schools and in residential areas.
2. Watch driveways. We teach elementary school children that the safest place to ride their bikes is on the sidewalk. Make sure to slow down and check twice at driveways and intersections for children riding on the sidewalk.
3. Wait for school buses. Never pass a stopped school bus, and watch out for children crossing the street.
4. Stop completely. With all the weight under your power when driving a car, it’s especially important to make a complete stop at stop signs. Children are more difficult to see, and sometimes move fast! Take the extra two seconds at stop signs to look for kids
5. Talk to your teen driver. Drivers have a special responsibility on the road to make sure that people walking and biking get home safe. Talk to your teen drivers about the dangers of driving too fast, and share these tips with them.

At Bicycle Colorado, we love working with kids to get them biking and walking safely to school, but it’s also important to remind drivers of the responsibility they bear when driving through and near school zones.