American Red Cross Offers Back-to-School Safety Checklist

As students head back to the classroom, the American Red Cross has issued a safety checklist to ensure students stay safe during their commute. The checklist provides essential tips for parents, students, and drivers.

For Younger Students or First-Time School-Goers:

• Teach them their phone number, address, how to contact their parents at work, a trusted adult’s contact information, and how to dial 911.
• Instruct them never to talk to strangers or accept rides from someone they don’t know.

For Students Walking to School:

• Always walk on the sidewalk. If no sidewalk is available, walk facing traffic.
• Stop and look left, right, and left again before crossing the street.
• Cross streets at corners, obey traffic signals, and use crosswalks.
• Never run into the street or cross between parked cars.

For Students Taking the Bus:

• Arrive at the bus stop early and stand away from the curb.
• Board the bus only after it has come to a complete stop and the driver or attendant has instructed them to get on.
• Always stay in clear view of the bus driver and never walk behind the bus.

For Students Riding Bikes to School:

• Always wear a helmet.
• Ride on the right side of the road, in the same direction as traffic.

For Parents Driving Their Children to School:

• Ensure children always wear a seat belt. Younger children should use car seats or booster seats until the lap-shoulder belt fits properly (typically for children ages 8-12 and over 4’9”) and ride in the back seat until at least 13 years old.

For Teenagers Driving to School:

• Make sure they use seat belts.
• Prohibit cell phone use for texting or calls and avoid eating or drinking while driving.

For Parents Considering Cell Phones for Their Students:

• Download the free Red Cross First Aid and Emergency apps to provide first aid tips for common emergencies and real-time weather alerts. Find the apps by searching for the American Red Cross in smartphone app stores or visiting redcross.org/apps.

For Students Joining Sports Teams:

• Ensure they wear protective gear such as helmets and pads.
• Encourage them to warm up and cool down properly.
• Instruct them to be mindful of others.
• Make sure they know the location of the nearest first aid kit and AED.

Back-to-School Checklist for Drivers:

• Slow down.
• Yellow flashing lights on a school bus indicate it is preparing to stop. Red flashing lights and an extended stop sign mean the bus is stopped and children are boarding or exiting.
• Motorists must stop when they are behind a bus, meeting the bus, or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped.
• Motorists traveling alongside a school bus must stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety. This rule applies to both two and four-lane highways.
• If physical barriers such as grassy medians, guide rails, or concrete median barriers separate oncoming traffic from the bus, motorists in the opposing lanes may proceed without stopping. However, do not proceed until all children have reached a place of safety.

By following these guidelines, the American Red Cross aims to keep students safe as they return to school.