Sheriff Issues Safety Refresher as Kids Head Back to School

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is urging motorists to use extra caution as school children head back to class and buses return to roadways. Likewise, parents are reminded to review safety tips with their children.

Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek says anyone behind the wheel should drive attentively and be aware of children on sidewalks, along roadways, and at all marked and unmarked crosswalks and intersections.

“Drivers should use extra caution around school buses and they should be aware that more children will be at bus stops and walking or riding bikes to school,” Sheriff Stanek said. “Slow down and be especially alert in neighborhoods and school zones.”

In Minnesota, school buses make at least 10,000 school bus trips daily.

The Sheriff’s Office offered these tips for motorists, parents and children:

Motorists

• Reduce speeds in and around school zones.
• You might consider altering your route in order to avoid school bus traffic.
• Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and curbs.
• Be prepared to stop for the school bus.
• Enter and exit driveways, parking lots, and alleys slowly and carefully. 
• Do not engage in distracted driving.  Put down the phone and focus on driving. Texting while driving is against the law in Minnesota.  
• Watch for pedestrian traffic and prepare to stop if a pedestrian is approaching the intersection.

School children and bus safety

• Never run out into the streets or cross in between parked cars.
• Create a morning schedule that allows plenty of time to arrive to the bus stop at an appropriate time.  It’s not safe for children to run into the street because they are worried about missing the bus. 
• Make sure children walk 5-10 steps in front of the bus where the driver can see them
• Wait for the driver to signal that it’s safe to cross.
• Wait for the bus in a safe place – not on the street or curb.
• Parents should remind children about appropriate behavior on the bus in order to allow the bus driver to concentrate on driving.

Safety tips for walking to school

• Parents should walk the route to school with students before the start of the year and select a course with the least number of traffic crossings.
• Cross only at intersections or crosswalks and obey all traffic signs and signals.
• Do not enter a crosswalk if a vehicle is too close or moving too fast to stop.
• In general, children under age 10 should cross the street with an adult.