Didn't we just brush up on beginning-of-summer safety? While it does feel like that, for many of us, school is already back in session. In my house, we go back September 8. Lucky? it is debatable. What is not debatable is that school brings a switch in our routines. Mellow days of summer and possibly some later bed times, turn into hectic mornings where you are on the clock and hoping to survive without a melt down.
The start of a new school year is exciting! Full of new clothes, spider-man backpacks and number 2 pencils. But that first day of school can be a crazy whirlwind. Summer is just long enough to forget the school time routines. That first day of school commute will have hundreds of excited kids on foot, newly licensed teens in cars and rushed, distracted parents, some of them running late for work. Taking just a few safety precautions will make for a peaceful transition into the new school year.
Have a Plan for Driving Near Schools
Children can be unpredictable! It can be difficult for you to know which way they will go and how quick they will change directions. Driving near or to a school can be a huge challenge to your sanity.Use these 6 tips to surviving the drive:
- Leave plenty of time. Extra time can equal the ability to control stress.
- Prepare the night before. Plan a simple quick breakfast. Get the kid’s school clothes and your work clothes ready. Put backpacks, briefcases, cell phones and shoes by the door.
- Plan a dry run. Drive by the school with your kids ahead of time. Decide on a drop-off and pick-up place. Verify contact information and a back-up plan. This is a good time for cell phone etiquette, no texts and walking or in class, etc.
- Remember school bus laws. It is illegal to pass a stopped school bus. Both directions must stop on an undivided road until the bus is moving. Buses have yellow flashing lights when preparing to stop and red flashing lights with an extended STOP sign when stopped.
- Avoid texts or talking on the phone while driving. For your teen, there are apps to silence calls and text when the car is moving.
- Be aware. Small kids are hard to see. Be aware that kids text and walk. Be aware that new teen drivers are in cars with their friends, listening to loud music, laughing and eating. Just be extra aware.
Have a Plan for Your Kids Walking to School
Again, children are known for being unpredictable. Seventy-nine percent of pedestrian fatalities among those ages 14 and younger occur outside of an intersection, for example: cutting out between parked cars. Teaching kids safe pedestrian practices is a must. 5 important kid pedestrian tips:
- Leave plenty of time.
- Perform a practice run. Plan your child’s route and walk it with them. Point out the time it takes to not be rushed. Cover the importance of using cross-walks, signs to obey, drivers' blind spots, waiting to text and paying attention to surroundings.
- Teach your kids the importance of making eye contact with drivers before walking in front of them.
- Use a buddy system whenever possible.
- Teach your kids about people they don't know and explain what to do in specific scenarios like being approached to help find a puppy.
- Verify kids know their home address and phone number.
Have a Plan for Your New Drivers.
In a survey of teen drivers, 25% admit to not buckling up, 39% admit to texting while driving and a very embarrassing 28% of teen drivers say that their parents text and drive. The very frightening fact is that teen drivers are 10 times more likely to be involved in a crash during their first year of driving. Protect your teen with these 4 steps:
- Teach then to leave plenty of time to get to their destination safely.
- Teach them to wear a seat belt 100% of the time.
- No texting and driving. There are great apps to help! Some apps lock screen when the car is going over 5 miles an hour, others block texts and calls, some even text you for events such as speeding. Try Cell Control, DriveSafe.ly Pro, Safe Driver, Zoom Safer, or Text Arrest.
- Discuss the sobering facts of teen driving statistics. Try Spring Field Public Schools, SafeKids, do something.org or Teen Driver Source for a start.
Have a Plan for Your Empty House
With all the focus on getting back into the swing of school, your home can be overlooked. August has the highest burglary rates in the U.S. and most of these burglaries occur between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., when kids are at school and you are at work or running errands.6 steps to help a thief focus on easier prey:
- Trim shrubs and trees near windows to keep them from becoming a hiding spot for burglars.
- Take some deterring measures: Do things to Cars in driveways all deter break-ins.
- Keep expensive items out of sight. Look at your house from the street; verify televisions and other valuable items are not visible through windows.
- Lock every single door and window every single time. Thirty percent of all burglaries are through an open or unlocked door.
- If you have a security system, make sure signs and stickers are in prominent view. Homes without alarms are 300% more likely to be broken into than a home with a security system.
- If you don’t have a security, you can get a FREE Home Security evaluation by calling 1-800-310-9490.`With an ADT Pulse system, you can view live video to see kids are really doing homework, have the system report to you if they aren't home on time and even lock the doors behind them if they forgot.
Here at California Security Pro we are dedicated to the safety of your whole family. Practicing these safety tips will help your clan have a safer and more relaxed start to the school year. More than that, children that know and are comfortable with a routine, are confident. Your child's safety habits will teach their friends better safety habits. For all year safety, in addition to having a monitored security system, think about joining or starting a neighborhood watch.
If you don't yet have the peace of mind of a monitored security system, schedule a FREE home security review with California Security Pro.
Relatede video:
Video Surveillance with ADT Pulse
Editors' note: this blog was originally published on Jul 30, 2014 at 9:46am. Blog post was updated and republished for 2015.
