Child Injury is Not on Your Back-to-School List
Walking to school can be a great benefit to your child, both physically and mentally. It gives them time to fit in a little exercise and also to plan for their day.
Whether you accompany them on their daily route or not, there are five important safety tips you should share with your grade-schooler.
- Pick the route that has the least amount of traffic, good sidewalks and crosswalks, and does not go into any low-visibility areas like alleyways. Use it regularly so adults know where to find you.
- Always use crosswalks when possible and obey the pedestrian traffic signals even if no cars are around.
- If riding a bicycle or a skateboard to school, remind them to cross roads on foot, either walking the bicycle or carrying the skateboard.
- Do not run or horseplay even if the sidewalk is not near a road.
- No walking to school if a severe thunderstorm or snowstorm is currently happening or is coming. Check the weather every morning before leaving the house.
Part of keeping your child safe on their walk to school is planning the best route for them to take. Sometimes a little extra distance is worth having a route with the least traffic and road crossings. Remember to have a backup plan for when bad weather strikes and you can help your child avoid injury as they head back to school this fall.
