Back to School: Safely Transporting Your Child

Matt Rhoney09/16/2016

0 224 2 minutes read

safely transporting your child - a child riding their bike to school

As summer comes to an end, it’s time to gear up for a busy school year, which means it’s time to start thinking about how your child will get to and from school. While you may be the one who daily transports your son or daughter to and from school, there may be days when alternate transportation is your only and maybe even a better option.

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Whether you consider allowing your child to walk or bike to school, take the school bus, or be part of a carpool, it’s important to think about and discuss safety to avoid any preventable accidents:

Carpooling

If you have a great network of friends, family, and even neighbors, carpooling is a great way to transport children to and from activities because it’s flexible and it takes some of the responsibility off of one adult driver.

As a parent, it’s important you choose a driver you trust. Make sure their vehicle is equipped with proper and age-appropriate safety seats if not, supply your own. Failing to have adequate safety seats, if needed, can increase child’s risk of injury if involved in an accident.

Additionally, remind your child on how to be a respectful passenger and he or she doesn’t engage in behavior that may distract the driver.

If your child takes the school bus, make sure he or she knows how to engage in safe and appropriate behavior and doesn’t engage in horseplay or any behavior that will distract the driver.

Older Sibling

Having a teen driver in the house can be of a great help, especially if you have younger children needing a ride to and from school.

If you decide to allow an older sibling to be responsible for transportation, it’s important to know your state’s laws concerning teen drivers and passengers.

For example, in some states, teen drivers cannot drive with passenger under 20 years old for the first six months.

Also, it’s important to set rules and discuss some of the dangers of the roadways such as distracted drivers and speeding or reckless drivers.

Although your teen driver may be very conscientious, the car accident attorneys in Jacksonville at Pajcic & Pajcic, remind us teen drivers are some of the least experienced and may be more at risk of being involved in a vehicle incident.

Walking or Riding a Bike to School

If you are fortunate to live in a neighborhood that is close to your child’s school, walking or riding a bike may be a great way to get to school.

Experts strongly suggest if your child is under the age of 10, he or she should be accompanied by an adult, if walking or riding a bicycle.

If your child will be walking to school, it’s important he or she knows how to use sidewalks and be safe and aware at all times.

According to the most recent data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2013, one in every five children under the age of 14, who were killed in traffic crashes, were pedestrians.

Additionally, if your child plans to ride his or her bicycle, make sure he or she is always wearing a safety helmet.

About the author

Matt Rhoney is an avid reader on trending topics and a writer in his spare time. On the beautiful coast of North Carolina, you will usually find him catching up on the latest news with locals or the beach surfing, kayaking or paddle boarding. He loves to write pieces on health, fitness, and wellness, but often writes about families and safety.

Every school day there are approximately 24 million students transported to and from school by bus. Click here to learn the elements of school bus safety to teach your child.