Back-to-School Driving Tips from the Norwalk Police Department

NORWALK, CT — With the start of the new school year just around the corner, the Norwalk Police Department is offering several tips to parents and motorists concerning driving safety with little ones on the roads.

Below is the department's release, which discusses a multitude of issues, but boils down to common sense: When sharing the road with students, be careful.

As summer draws to a close, back-to-school season is in full effect. Remember to safely
share the roads with school buses, pedestrians and bicyclists, and provide children with
the necessary knowledge to stay safe at school. Whether children walk, ride their bicycle
or take the bus to school, it is extremely important that they - and the motorists around
them - take proper safety precautions.

Slow Down: Back to School Means Sharing the Road

School days bring congestion: Yellow school buses are picking up their charges, kids on
bikes are hurrying to get to school before the bell rings, harried parents are trying to drop
their kids off before work.

It is never more important for drivers to slow down and pay attention than when kids are
present – especially before and after school.

If You're Dropping Off

Schools often have very specific drop-off procedures for the school year. Make sure you
know them for the safety of all kids. More children are hit by cars near schools than at any
other location, according to the National Safe Routes to School program. The
following apply to all school zones:

• Don't double park; it blocks visibility for other children and vehicles
  
• Do not load or unload children across the street from the school
  
• Carpool to reduce the number of vehicles at the school
  

Sharing the Road with Young Pedestrians

According to research by the National Safety Council, most of the children who lose their
lives in bus-related incidents are 4 to 7 years old and are walking. They are hit by the bus,
or by a motorist illegally passing a stopped bus. A few precautions go a long way toward
keeping children safe:

• Do not block the crosswalk when stopped at a red light or waiting to make a turn, forcing pedestrians to go around you; this could put them in the path of moving traffic
  
• In a school zone when flashers are blinking, stop and yield to pedestrians crossing the crosswalk or intersection
  
• Always stop for a school crossing guard holding up a stop sign
  
• Take extra care to look out for children in school zones, near playgrounds and parks, and in all residential areas
  
• Do not honk or rev your engine to scare a pedestrian, even if you have the right of way
  
• Never pass a vehicle stopped for pedestrians
  

Sharing the Road with School Buses

If you are driving behind a bus, allow a greater following distance than if you were driving
behind a car. It will give you more time to stop once the yellow lights start flashing. It is
illegal in Connecticut to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children.

Additional tips:

• Never pass a bus from behind – or from either direction if you are on an undivided road – if it is stopped to load or unload children
  
• If the red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended, traffic must stop
  

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