Safety Checklist: Back to School

Class will soon be in session. Now is the right time to refresh your memory on some important back to school safety tips! Every year as summer winds down, the National Safety Council (NSC) releases recommendations on how parents and caregivers can best keep kids healthy and safe throughout the school year. We have compiled some of these tips below.

School Safety Topics and Tips

There are a few primary safety topics that are important to focus on, such as walkers, bus riders, driving, backpacks, and playgrounds and sports. Knowing more about safety measures that you and your child can incorporate into your daily lives is a significant step towards limiting the chance of a preventable injury from happening.

If your child walks to and/or from school, the NSC has the following tips:

• Before the school year starts, go over your family’s walking safety rules and practice walking to and from school with your child
• Before you cross the street, stop and look left, right, and then left again to make sure no cars are coming
• Walk on the sidewalk whenever one is available. When you are on a street with no sidewalk, walk facing traffic
• Make eye contact with drivers before you cross the street. Always cross at an intersection or crosswalk
• Stay alert! Avoid distracted walking

Lots of children and teens ride their bikes or take the bus to school. If your child has a bicycle, make sure to teach them the rules of the road and practice riding regularly with them. The more comfortable they are on their bike and with the route they take to school, the less likely they are to be involved in a crash or accident. The NSC also urges parents and caregivers to ensure that their child always wears a properly fitted helmet and brightly colored, easy-to-see clothing. Other safety tips for younger cyclists are to ride on the right side of the road, with traffic in single file, to come to a complete stop before crossing the street and walking their bike across the street, and to always be alert and avoid distractions.

Here are some of the NSC’s tips for riding the bus:

• Brush up on school bus safety rules and practice them before the school year begins. Go to the bus stop with your child to teach them the proper way to get on and off the bus
• Teach kids to stand six feet (or three giant steps) back from the curb
• If your child must cross the street in front of a bus, teach them to walk on the side of the road until they are ten feet ahead of the bus; your child and the bus driver should always be able to see each other

Whether you drive your child to school, or your teenager drives themselves, there are some important topics to go over. Car crashes are the number one leading cause of death among teens. If you have a teen driver, here is some advice:

• Practice with young drivers every week, both before and after they get their license. Inexperience is a top contributor to teen car crashes
• Set a good example for your child(ren). Drive the way you want them to drive. Obey traffic laws, speed limits and all other posted signage, always wear a seat belt, avoid all distractions, do not speed or drive aggressively, etc.
• Sign the New Driver Deal, an agreement that helps define the expectations between parents and their teens. You can view the Deal here: https://www.nsc.org/road/resources/dih/new-driver-deal?

If you drive your child to school, obey school zone speed limits and be sure to follow your child’s school’s drop-off procedures. You should also be cautious about young pedestrians: make eye contact with children who are crossing the street, never pass a bus unloading or loading children, and remember that the area ten feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children. Stop far enough back to allow them to safely enter and exit the bus.

Although lots of today’s homework may be on the computer, kids and teens still have plenty to carry in their backpacks. Many backpacks are designed ergonomically, promoting proper posture and distributing weight equally across the back and shoulders. A good backpack can help reduce the risk of developing musculoskeletal issues. Here are some other useful backpack safety tips from the NSC:

• Ask your child to use both straps when wearing their backpacks to evenly distribute weight on their shoulders
• Do not overstuff a backpack – it should weigh no more than 5% to 10% of your child’s body weight
• Rolling backpacks should be used cautiously since they create tripping hazards in crowded school hallways

Last but certainly not least, remind your child(ren) to leave necklaces and jackets with drawstrings at home – or in their locker – when playing sports or having fun on the playground. This helps to reduce strangulation hazards. It is okay if your child gets a few bumps and bruises while playing, but NEVER ignore a head injury. Warning signs of a head injury, like a concussion, include confusion, forgetfulness, glassy eyes, disorientation, clumsiness or poor balance, slowed speech, and/or changes in mood, behavior, and/or personality. If you suspect that your child has a head injury, seek medical care urgently.

The weeks leading up to a new school year can be a hectic and chaotic time but remember to enjoy as many of the moments as you can! To increase the chances of your child having an easy transition, simply take a few minutes to brush up on these safety topics together.

Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers at Galfand Berger, LLP, Representing Injured Victims Since 1947

If you have questions about filing a claim for injuries you sustained, contact the Philadelphia personal injury attorneys at Galfand Berger LLP today. Call us at 800-222-USWA (8792) or fill out our online form for a free consultation. Located in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, Lancaster, and Reading, we serve clients throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including Allentown and Harrisburg.