Back-To-School Safety Tips

School is back and children are riding on buses, their bikes, or walking to school.  When you add in the kids that are driven to school by mom, dad, or their grandparents, the roads get pretty congested in the morning and early afternoon. 

Here are a few key tips that can help improve safety for everyone:

Back-To-School Driving Tips For Parents

• Phone down and slow down – be vigilant in school zones and be sure to keep the speed low

• Stop when you see flashers – kids may be crossing the street and you must yield the right of way

• Be prepared to stop – kids may dart in and out of cars, into the parking lot, or street

• Unload the kids at designated spots – Usually, schools will have designated drop-off zones which are created for student/staff safety.  Avoid drop-offs across the street from the school and forcing your kids to cross a likely busy road.

Driving Safely Near a School Bus

• Keep your distance – stay several car lengths behind the school bus are you are driving behind it.  It stops frequently.

• Slow down when the lights flash yellow – this is a warning of an impending stop and you should treat it like a yellow light … but not the speed-through-the-intersection yellow light; the one you slow-down-and-be-prepared-to-stop yellow light.  Do not attempt to pass.

• Stop on red flashing lights – it is illegal and wildly dangerous to pass a stopped bus displaying flashing red lights and its stop sign.   Kids are either getting on or off the bus and may very well cross the roadway

Back-To-School Safety Tips For Children

• Wait for the bus to stop – Before you start walking to board the bus – or stand up to exit – wait for the bus to come to a complete stop.

• Buckle Up - If the bus has seatbelts, buckle up

• Do not cross directly in front of the bus – however, if you have no choice, give yourself at least 10 feet in front of the bus so the driver can see you

• Make eye contact – if you are crossing the street, make sure you make eye contact with all drivers and wait for them to acknowledge you with a waive before you cross

• Put the phone down – if you’re walking home, do not be distracted by your phone.  This is particularly dangerous at crosswalks and intersections

• Use crosswalks and sidewalks – always cross the road at a designated crosswalk.  If there is not one, cross at the intersection when it is safe to do so.   When walking, use sidewalks.  If ones are not available, walk to the edge of the roadway and face traffic

• Buddy system – there is safety in numbers as well as greater visibility.

If your child has been bullied, hazed, or injured at school, please contact Scott for a no cost, no obligation consultation and case evaluation.

Get Ready for Winter Driving

Snow, sleet, and ice are around the corner. Recent news stories have highlighted the challenges ODOT is facing with hiring people to drive snow plows which could lead to longer clearing times on primary and secondary roads.

Here are some tips to keep it between the ditches this winter:

Before You Go

• Check your battery — battery power drops in colder temperatures

• Check your tires — check the tread on your tires and replace if less than 2/32 of an inch

• Check the tire pressure — tire pressure drops in colder temperatures

• Wipers and fluid — replace your wipes and add fluid rated for negative temps

• Remove Snow and ice — clear off your windows and mirrors

How to Avoid a Crash

• Cruise control — do not use cruise control in wet or wintery conditions as your car will accelerate if your tires loose traction

• Take your time — accelerate and decelerate slowly

• Give more space — stopping distance increases so give the vehicles in front of your more space by increasing your following distance

• Steer into the skid — take your feet off the pedals and turn the wheel in the direction you want to go; once you gain traction you will not have to overcorrect

• If possible, do not stop when going uphill

If you have questions about personal injury claims please contact Scott for a no cost, no obligation consultation and case evaluation.

Tips for Staying Safe this Halloween

Carter and Max are very excited to go trick or treating this weekend. All Max wanted to be was Optimus Prime … he is obsessed with Transformers right now. Carter didn’t have strong feelings one way or another but thought the Voltron costume looked cool. They want to share some tips on how to stay safe this Halloween

1. Take the Safest Path: If sidewalks are available, use them. Plan your route to limit the number of times you have to cross the street.

2. Street Crossing: It’s best to cross at street corners and, if available, use crosswalks. But sometimes street corners are a long way away and the house that gives full-sized candy bars is directly across the street. If so, never cross in between parked cars.

3. Look Before Crossing: Stop. Look left, look right, and look left again. Cross when 100% certain there are no cars.

4. Absolutely No Darting: Chances are the full-sized candy bars will still be there 10 seconds later. With this in mind, absolutely no darting into the roadway. See Tip #3.

5. Eye Contact: With masks covering children’s eyes, it can be a challenge to establish eye contact with people driving cars but it is important to teach our kids to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them.

6. Bring a Flashligh: If you live in a community that goes trick or treating at night, be sure to bring a flashlight.

7. Devices Down: Aside from the occasional photograph, our cell phones should remain in our pockets and our attention should be on our kids.

8. Drive Safely: Enter and exit your driveway slowly. Slow down and stay alert while traveling in residential areas. Also, Tip #7 equally applies here too … except for the taking photos part.

If you have questions about a personal injury claim please contact Scott for a no cost, no obligation consultation and case evaluation.