your host children how to safely wait for and board the school bus. Go over safe bicycling procedures if they’ll be riding. And don’t forget children who are in your car. They are at particular risk and need your guidance.

Photo: Bill McChesney

Riding the Bus

• Have a safe place to wait for your bus, away from traffic and the street.
• Stay away from the bus until it comes to a complete stop and the driver signals you to enter.
• When being dropped off, exit the bus and walk ten giant steps away from the bus. Keep a safe distance between you and the bus. Also, remember that the bus driver can see you best when you are back away from the bus.
• Use the handrail to enter and exit the bus.
• Stay away from the bus until the driver gives his/her signal that it’s okay to approach.
• Be aware of the street traffic around you. Drivers are required to follow certain rules of the road concerning school buses, however, not all do.

Walking and biking to school

Even if you don’t ride in a motor vehicle, you still have to protect yourself. Because of minimal supervision, young pedestrians face a wide variety of decisions making situations and dangers while walking to and from school. Here are a few basic safety tips to follow:

• Mind all traffic signals and/or the crossing guard — never cross the street against a light, even if you don’t see any traffic coming.
• Walk your bike through intersections.
• Walk with a buddy.

Wear reflective material…it makes you more visible to street traffic.

Riding in a car

Safety belts are the best form of protection passengers have in the event of a crash. They can lower your risk of injury by 45%. You are four times more likely to be seriously injured or killed if ejected from the vehicle in a crash.

Remember: One Person – One Belt

• Everybody needs a child safety seat, booster seat, or safety belt!
• There must be one safety belt for each person. Buckling two people, even children, into one belt could injure both.
• Everyone needs to be buckled up properly. That means older kids in seat belts, younger kids in booster seats and little kids in child safety seats.
• The back seat is the safest place in a crash. Children age 12 and under should ride properly restrained in back. Infants riding rear-facing must NEVER be placed in front of an airbag.
• People who are not buckled up can be thrown from the car or around inside the car, and seriously hurt themselves or others.
• Never hold a child on your lap! You could crush him/her in a crash, or the child may be torn from your arms.
• Never ride in the cargo area of a station wagon, van, or pickup! Anyone riding in the cargo area could be thrown out and severely injured or killed.
• No one seat is ‘best’, The ‘best’ child safety seat is the one that fits your child and can be installed correctly.