BACK-TO-SCHOOL SAFETY

Back-to-school means change on the home front. Closets are rearranged, schedules are brand new and notebooks and pencils are untested.

But back-to-school brings change to the streets and sidewalks too. Children get to school in many ways and glimpses of those buses, bicycles and youngsters at crosswalks drive home the importance of safety rules for everyone.

Parents should make sure their children are prepared in every way to return to school -- and that means they know and follow the safety rules, the Cape Girardeau Area Safe Kids Coalition points out.

Sponsored by Southeast Missouri Hospital and St. Francis Medical Center and composed of wide-ranging membership throughout the community, the coalition is part of the National Safe Kids Campaign, a long-term effort to prevent childhood injury.

And there are rules for grown-ups too, noted Sharee Galenore, coordinator of the Cape Girardeau Community Traffic Safety Programs. "We need to realize that we've got a lot of kids out there going back to school," she said.

"Slow down a little, be a little more patient," she urged. "It may slow us down a few moments, but our most precious assets are in that bus and we need to realize that."

In the Cape Girardeau Public School system alone, an average of 1,276 students ride buses to school each month school is in session. Some 4,408 students attend the schools within the school system.

While each school or school system will have specific rules regarding bus, bicycle and pedestrian behavior, the Cape Girardeau Area Safe Kids Coalition and the National Safe Kids Campaign offer these basic tips.

BASIC SAFETY TIPS

School bus safety

-- Arrive at the stop at least five minutes before the bus arrives.

-- Stay out of the street and avoid horseplay.

-- Always wait for parents on the same side of the street as the school bus loading/unloading zone.

-- Cross at least 10 feet in front of the bus.

Walking to school

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, pedestrian injuries have become the second leading cause of unintentional deaths among children ages 5 to 14. The National Safe Kids Campaign recommends that children ages 9 and under do not cross the street alone nor walk to school alone.

Here are some tips:

-- Choose the safest route and walk it with your children.

-- Teach children to obey all traffic signals and markings.

-- Make sure children look in all directions before crossing the street.

-- Teach children not to enter the street from between parked cars or from behind buses or shrubs.

-- Teach children to cross the street at a corner or crosswalk.

-- Warn children to be extra alert in bad weather.

-- Demonstrate proper pedestrian safety by being a good role model.

Riding bikes to school

Whether out of necessity or for fun, many children ride their bikes to school. Unfortunately, bike-related injuries are all too commonplace. Young bikers must realize that "if they're on the bicycle, they're just like any other vehicle on the street," Galenore noted. Here are some tips to keep children safe.

-- Bike helmets should be worn at all times when bicycling.

-- Children should not ride on the road without direct adult supervision until about the age of 10.

-- Choose a safe cycling route.

That route may not be the same as a safe walking route. Streets with a steady flow of fast-moving traffic are not appropriate for young cyclists.

-- Follow the rules of the road.

-- Don't ride at night.

-- Schools should provide cyclists with "safe areas."

Driving your child to school

"Always remember to buckle up," urged Galenore, traffic safety expert. "Take a moment, slow down and do those things that need to be done."

-- Every person should wear a safety belt and remain belted until exiting the vehicle.

-- The driver should allow extra time in the schedule to avoid the pressure of driving too fast.

-- Drop off children as close to school as possible, make sure they enter and leave the car on the curb side.

-- Arrange to pick up the child at a safe spot, away from the congestion of cars around the school.