Top Back to School Safety Tips for Drivers

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on August 11, 2015

Every Seattle driver needs to stay alert in order to avoid accidents.  When the new school year begins, it’s important to watch out for changes in pedestrian traffic, the presence of school buses, and other events that you didn’t have to deal with during the summer.

Here are some tips to drive with care and make sure that children sharing the road with you make it to class safely:

• Practice safer drop-off habits. If you drop or pick up children at school, learn the school’s procedures beforehand.  Most schools have specific rules about where to park and when.  Avoid double-parking, and carpool if possible in order to reduce the number of vehicles near the school.  Take extra care to drive slowly and avoid distractions: more children are hit by cars near schools than in any other location, according to the National Safe Routes to School Program.
• Help kids walk safely. The National Safety Council estimates that most children who die in pedestrian crashes are between the ages of 4 and 7 and were walking to or from school when they were hit.  Help these young people walk more safely by never blocking a crosswalk with your vehicle, always yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks, and resisting the temptation to illegally pass a stopped school bus.
• Share the road with school buses. Leave extra room between your car and a bus ahead of you, so you can stop safely as soon as the yellow lights begin to flash.  Never pass a bus that has stopped to load or unload children.  That’s not only dangerous – it is also against the law.

If you or one of your children has been struck by a car, it can be devastating. The attorneys of Hardwick & Pendergast have helped many families in this situation. We’re here to help yours.