Back to School Safety

Air Armament Center Safety Office

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- As summer vacation concludes here on the Emerald Coast, students across several counties are readying themselves for the start of a new school year.

With all of the excitement this time brings, safety is not the first topic that may be discussed between students and parents. The Air Armament Safety Office encourages parents to speak with their children about safety before school begins. Here is why and some topics to help you along.

Getting to school and back home again

· Find an easy, safe way to walk to school or the bus stop. Ask your parents if there is anything you should watch out for along way. Crosswalks, stop lights, crossing guard, speed zones. · Always walk with a brother, sister, neighbor, or friend - sounds just like a Wingman. · Don't talk to strangers, go anywhere with them, or take anything from them.

· Know your phone number and address, even your area code and zip code. If you have trouble remembering them, write them down and keep them in a safe place like a backpack or notebook. Walking and biking to schoolEven if you don't ride to school in a car or a school bus, students must still protect themselves. In walking to and from school without a parent, many young pedestrians face many safety decisions, situations and dangers. Here are a few basic safety tips to follow:

· Mind all traffic signals and/or the crossing guard -- never cross the street against a light, even if you don't see any traffic coming.

· Walk your bike through intersections. · Walk with a buddy. · Wear reflective material if possible...it makes you more visible to street traffic.

· Never walk alone--always travel with a buddy.

· Pay attention to all traffic signals and crossing guards along the way.
Never cross the street against a stop light.

· Always wear a helmet when riding a bicycle.

· Avoid ill-fitting clothing that could get caught in spokes or pedals or restrict movements, and wear reflective colors and material to be more visible to street traffic.

· Walk your bicycle across all intersections. Riding in a car You might have heard before that most traffic crashes occur within a 25-mile radius of home ... that's true, they do.

· Safety belts are the best form of protection passengers have in the event of a crash. They can lower your risk of injury by 45%.

· You are four times more likely to be seriously injured or killed if ejected from the vehicle in a crash.

· Everyone needs to be buckled up properly. That means older kids in seat belts, younger kids in booster seats and little kids in child safety seats.

Riding the bus

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 24 million students nationwide start their school day with a trip on the school bus. Although NHTSA reports that riding on a school bus is nearly eight times safer than riding in a passenger vehicle, an average of 11 school-aged pedestrians are killed by school transportation vehicles each year. In 2006, 26 students were killed and another 9,000 were injured in incidents involving school buses. More often than not, these deaths and injuries didn't occur in a crash, but as the pupils were entering and exiting the bus.

Remember these safety tips:

· Have a safe place to wait for your bus, away from traffic and the street.

· Stay away from the bus until it comes to a complete stop and the driver signals you to enter.

· When being dropped off, exit the bus and walk ten giant steps away from the bus. Keep a safe distance between you and the bus. Also, remember that the bus driver can see you best when you are back away from the bus.

· Use the handrail to enter and exit the bus. · Stay away from the bus until the driver gives a signal that it's okay to approach.

· Be aware of the street traffic around you. Drivers are required to follow certain rules of the road concerning school buses, however, not all do. Protect yourself and watch out!

After school If you stay home alone for a few hours after school while your parents are at work, call and check in with them as soon as you get home. Ask your parents what the rules are. Are you allowed to watch TV before you finish your homework?

But these two are simple rules parents should provide their children who are home alone:

· Keep doors shut: Instead of telling kids not to let a stranger in, the real rule needs to be: Keep the door shut and locked at all times. Don't fill your child's head with "don'ts"; simply tell them to keep all doors closed. If someone comes to the door, your child can communicate with this person through the door.

· Set check-in time: Another thing parents should ask their child to do is call and let Mom or Dad know that she is home safe. Set a consistent time for the child to call each day. Give her 10 minutes plus or minus to allow for a slow bus, etc ... then start to worry if she doesn't meet this deadline. Also, find a close neighbor who is usually home around this time. If the parent can't be reached, the child knows to call this person.

Parents, please remember that kids home alone are much more likely to encounter dangers such as fire from burning popcorn or falling down the stairs than being abducted by a stranger. Parents need to consider some of these issues facing their families and deal with them accordingly. Have a safe and productive school year.

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