Annapolis Police To Welcome Students Back To School

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Tuesday, Sept. 4, marks the start of another school year for Anne Arundel County Public Schools and this year, for the third year in a row, Annapolis police officers will be out in force to welcome students back to school.

Officers will be out on Sept. 4 and 5 at Annapolis elementary schools, middle schools, and the high school at student arrival times to give high fives, welcome students, and remind them about #SchoolSafety.

Parents, students and drivers should take extra precautions during this period.

For Drivers
Maryland law requires drivers to stop for school buses when the buses engage flashing red lights. Drivers may not be able to see everyone who got off of the bus so proceed slowly until you are clear of the bus and pedestrians. The law also requires drivers to yield (stop) for pedestrians who are in a crosswalk. Failure to obey these laws may result in a citation but may also lead to an injury which could have been prevented.

For Parents
If your child is riding to school in a bus or car please be sure to have them use a seatbelt. In cars, all children under 13 years of age should ride in the rear seat. If you must drive more children than can fit in the rear seat (when carpooling, for example), move the front-seat passenger’s seat as far back as possible and have the child ride in a booster seat if the seat belts do not fit properly without it.

If your child is riding a bike to school, your child should always wear a bicycle helmet, ride on the right, in the same direction as vehicle traffic, use appropriate hand signals and respect traffic lights and stop signs. Make sure to educate your child about the rules of the road and make them wear bright colors to increase visibility.

Finally, if your child is walking to school walk the route with your child before the start of school. Make sure your child’s walk is a safe route with well-trained adult crossing guards at every intersection. Parents should be realistic about your child’s pedestrian skills. Because small children are impulsive and less cautious around traffic, carefully consider whether or not your child is ready to walk to school without adult supervision.

Children should wear bright colored clothing to make them more visible to drivers. And finally, in neighborhoods with higher levels of traffic, consider starting a “walking school bus,” in which an adult accompanies a group of neighborhood children walking to school.

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