Back to School Safety
As summer draws to a close, “back-to-school” is in full effect. Safety should be a priority for every family as students return to classrooms. It is a priority with Jenks Campus Police. It is important for parents to stay up-to-date on the proper safety precautions and share this important information with their children to keep them safe throughout the school year.
We would like to share some suggestions to all the drivers to hopefully make our roadways safer for our students this school year.
Motorist must exercise extreme caution and great care when driving around or near a school zone or school. Be alert to the safety needs of pedestrians, especially our children. Generally, pedestrians havethe right-of-way at all intersections and crosswalks; however, regardless of the rules of the road or right-of-way, drivers are obligated to be alert to their surroundings and the safety of our students. This is critically important when driving on school property. The posted speed limit is 10 MPHon school property. Drivers should not block stop in a crosswalk. Blocking a crosswalk forces our children to walk around your vehicle and could put them in a dangerous situation.
In a school zone, when the amber warning flashers are blinking, you must slow down, and be prepared to stop and yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway at a crosswalk or at an intersection.
Always follow the traffic control directions by a police officer or designated crossing guard. They are there to keep our students safe and help with the safe flow of traffic.
Please do not to talk or use your cell phones in a school zone or a school parking lot. This is especially important when dropping off or picking up. It takes your attention away from the safety of our students.
Children are unpredictable pedestrians and difficult to see. Please take extra care to look out for children not only in school zones, but also in residential areas, playgrounds and parks.
School Buses
It is against State Law to pass a school bus when the red flashing lights are deployed and flashing. If a roadway is divided, the opposite direction roadway may proceed with caution. Traffic behind the school bus traveling in the same direction must stop.
School buses use yellow flashing lights to alert motorists that they are preparing to stop to load or unload children. Red flashing lights mean STOP.
The area around a school bus is where children are in the most danger of being hit. Stop your vehicle far enough from the bus to allow children necessary space to safely enter or exit the bus.
Children are unpredictable. Be ALERT. Children walking to or from their bus stops usually are not paying attention to their surroundings.
Never pass a stopped school bus on the right. It is illegal and could have tragic consequences.
Please check out these websites for additional information on Back to School Safety.
National Safety Council website
http://www.nsc.org/safety_home/SafetyObservances/Pages/BackToSchoolSafety.aspx
See also tips on “School Bus Safety”, “Pedestrian Safety” , “Driving Safety” and more.
Safety Tips from SAFEKIDS and other sites.
http://www.safekids.org/safetytips
http://www.safercar.gov/parents/BackToSchool.htm
http://www.rd.com/advice/parenting/back-to-school-safety-tips/
“Protecting Our Future”