School Run Safety

The return to normal life is upon us, meaning that at certain times of the day the streets around you are likely to be busier. You now don’t just need to contend with high levels of traffic when office workers start and finish, but also with the traffic going to and from local schools. 

Regardless of any signs or markings, it is still normal to see cars parked outside school gates or in no parking zones. Due to hectic lifestyles, many parents might be in a rush to taxi their child from school to an extracurricular activity or home. This can cause a build up of vehicles, frustration, and people who may be more concerned about timing than performing basic vehicular safety checks, which can lead to accidents and incidents between other vehicles and pedestrians. If this occurs, you might want to call a car accident lawyer in Oakland. 

In the meantime, you cannot control the actions of other parents, but you can adapt how you go about school drop offs and pick-ups, as well as to ensure you are making safe choices at all times.

When walking to school, it is important that you and any children in your care don’t carelessly run out into the road. Using a designated crossing guard can help prevent any incidents from occurring. If available, you could also use standard pedestrian crossing locations too. Jaywalking and simply attempting to get across a high traffic road could prove to be fatal if you aren’t careful. In fact, even when looking both ways and following all road safety suggestions, there is always the possibility of an oncoming vehicle coming round the corner at high speeds. It is best to always take the safe option by using official forms of crossing. 

If you take your children to school by car, there are also ways to stay safe that are relevant to you. Parking legally will help both yourself and other road users. Some areas, such as just outside the school gates, may ask you to not park there. This could be due to deliveries that might be made, or to ensure there isn’t as much traffic around a place where numerous pedestrians will congregate.

When driving off after the drop off or pick-up, it is vital that you spend a few moments looking around for any hazards. This includes checking your blind spots for any pedestrians crossing or children who might be on the road.  It is always better to assume that other people around you are incapable than to risk accident or injury.

Returning to school doesn’t need to be daunting. By making safe choices on your journey, you can help keep yourself and those around you that bit safer. This will also instill good habits in your children for when they eventually complete these journeys on their own.