Tips for safely walking, biking and driving to school as Volusia's academic year winds down
A fourth-grade student at Sugar Mill Elementary School in Port Orange was fatally struck by a vehicle Friday while riding her bike to school, Port Orange Police said.
With a week left of school in Volusia County, here are safety tips to keep in mind as the year winds down.
Safety tips for walking to school
For students who walk to school, it is important for families to determine the safest route and then stick to that route, according to the National Center for Safe Routes to School.
The center said students should travel on sidewalks or paths when available. If sidewalks aren't an option, students should walk as far from traffic as possible on the side of the street facing oncoming traffic.
Students should avoid multi-lane roads with high traffic and high speeds when possible, the center advised, and families should pick a route that minimizes street crossings.
How do you teach kids about pedestrian safety?
Children will learn how to walk safely through practice and experience, according to the National Center for Safe Routes to School.
When walking with children, the center advises parents and other adults to obey traffic signals and signs; look for traffic at driveways and intersections; cross the street safely by stopping and looking for traffic in every direction; and, when walking at night, wear bright or reflective clothes and bring a flashlight.
The center noted that it takes time for children to understand and predict traffic.
“Young children may think that a car is able to stop, when in fact, it is not,” according to the center’s tip sheet for teaching pedestrian safety. “Also, children may think that if they can see a driver, the driver can see them. But, children are smaller and harder for drivers to see. Get down to a child’s height to experience their perspective and see what they see.”
How to ride a bike to school safely
According to the National Center for Safe Routes to School, it is important that the bike is the correct size for its rider and that the bike is visible with reflectors on the front, back and both wheels. The bike should have adequate air in its tires as well as working gears and breaks. The chain should not be loose and the wheels and bolts should be tight.
The biker should wear bright and reflective clothes, a helmet, and shoes with tied laces, according to the center. The helmet should fit properly, sitting two fingers above the rider's eyebrows with straps that meet just below the ears.
Similar to walking, when riding a bike, bicyclists should watch for vehicles going in and out of driveways and alleys and also stop before turning or crossing the street, the center noted. Children riding bikes should also stick to familiar routes that limit street crossings and have minimal traffic traveling at lower speeds.
When biking on a street, bicyclists should ride in a single-file line on the right side of the road, traveling the same direction as traffic, according to the center. They should have both hands on the bike at all times unless signaling.
How to drive safely in a school zone
While most schools typically have their own drop-off and pick-up instructions, the National Safety Council advises against double parking in all school zones as it blocks visibility for other vehicles and pedestrians. It also advises against loading or unloading children across the street from school, but suggests carpooling to reduce the number of vehicles present at the school.
According to the council, vehicles sharing the road with young pedestrians should not block the crosswalk when stopped at a light or waiting to make a turn. They should also stop and yield when pedestrians are crossing a crosswalk or intersection and when a crossing guard is holding up a stop sign.
When sharing the road with bicycles, the council advised that vehicle-drivers should watch for bikers turning without looking or signaling.
Additionally, according to the council, if a vehicle is turning left and a bicycle is approaching in the opposition, the driver should wait for the bicyclist to pass. And If a bicyclist is approaching a car from behind on the right, the driver should let the bicyclist pass the intersection before turning right.
Vehicles that share the road with school buses should not pass a bus from behind if it is stopped, according to the council, and if the bus has lights flashing or a stop arm extended, the car should stop.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Sugar Mill student killed on way to school; how to keep your child safe.
