Back To School: East Brunswick PD Urge Caution When Driving

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - Students in the township are ready to head back to school on Sept. 9, and the police department is reminding residents to be cautious when driving.

Here are some reminders and tips from the police department:

• All passengers should wear a seat belt or use an age- and size-appropriate car seat or booster seat.
• Children should ride in a car seat with a harness as long as possible and then ride in a belt-positioning booster seat.
• Children should ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle's seat belt fits properly (usually when the child reaches about 4' 9" in height and is between 8 to 12 years of age). This means that the child is tall enough to sit against the vehicle seat back with her legs bent at the knees and feet hanging down and the shoulder belt lies across the middle of the chest and shoulder, not the neck or throat; the lap belt is low and snug across the thighs, not the stomach.
• All children younger than 13 years of age should ride in the rear seat of vehicles. Those who 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.

Police reminded residents that many crashes occur while novice teen drivers are going to and from school. Use of seat belt is mandatory, limit the number of teen passengers, and do not allow eating, drinking, cell phone conversations even when using hands-free devices or speakerphone, texting or other mobile device use to prevent driver distraction.

The first day of school in East Brunswick is Sept. 9.

In a recent message to the school community Superintendent Victor Valeski reminded parents and students that masks are required in all school settings - including buses. A few exceptions to the mask mandate inlucde when it inhibits an individual’s health, in extreme heat, and when participating in high-intensity physical activities. You can read more by clicking here.

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