Time to review safety with children

With a new school year only weeks away, Heidi Crowden of Cape Girardeau's Safe Kids Coalition, reminds parents that now is the time to begin reviewing school time safety tips with children.

According to statistics from the National Safe Kids Campaign, an estimated 2.2 million children ages 14 and under sustain school-related injuries each year. Many of those accidents are related to travel to and from school.

"Parents can over estimate kids' abilities about safety rules," explained Crowden. "Don't assume your children know the rules. Review and practice the guidelines with your children."

Safety guidelines that should be passed on to children include:

When approaching a school bus, remember to make sure the bus comes to a complete stop before approaching the street.

Stay seated while on the bus.

Keep hands and arms in the bus at all times.

Cross at least 10 feet in front of the bus.

Pedestrian injuries also occur among children. It is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths among children ages 5 to 14. Exercise these precautions:

Choose the safest route and walk it with your children.

Teach children to obey traffic signals and markings.

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

Teach children to cross the street at a corner or cross walk.

For more information on the Cape Girardeau Area Safe Kids Coalition, call Crowden at 651-5815.