KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT BILL GRAVES, GOVERNOR Gary R. Mitchell, Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 25, 1997

Contact: Jan Stegelman 913-296-1223

Back to School Safely

Warm summer afternoons by the pool side will soon give way to the flurry of parents and children preparing for the back-to-school season. Before your child returns to school or enters school for the first time, parents need to teach or review with their children important safety guidelines.

In 1993, more than 6,900 children ages 14 and under died and more than 50,000 were permanently disabled from unintentional injuries.

"As fall approaches and children prepare to return to school, it's more important for parents and children to go over safety tips together," said Jan Stegelman, coordinator of the Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition. "Make sure you include reviewing important safety guidelines at the top of your back-to-school checklist. This will ensure a safe, enjoyable start to the school year for everyone."

The Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition offers these guidelines to help parents and children this back-to-school season:

School Bus Safety

An estimated 22 million students ride school buses each day. Although school buses are one of the safest ways to travel to and from school, injuries do occur. In 1995, 36 children ages 14 and under were killed and an estimated 5,000 were injured in school bus-related incidents. Twenty-one children killed were pedestrians. Many injuries happen when children are boarding or exiting the bus, because a blind spot extends about ten feet in front of the bus, obstructing the view of the driver. Children are not aware of this blind spot and might mistakenly believe that if they can see the bus, the bus can see them. The Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition offers these important tips for school bus safety:

Waiting for the Bus

A child's behavior at the bus stop is a very important aspect of school bus safety. Children should remember these safety tips while waiting for the bus:

• 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 the street at least ten feet in front of the bus.

On the Bus

While on the bus, children should observe the following safety rules:

• Remain seated at all times and keep the aisles clear.
• Do not throw objects.
• Do not shout or distract the driver unnecessarily.
• Keep heads and arms inside the bus at all times.
  
  

Boarding and Leaving the Bus

• When boarding or leaving the bus, children should always:
• Walk in a single file line.
• Use the handrail to avoid falls.
• Wait until the bus comes to a complete stop before exiting.
• Exit from the front of the bus.
• Be aware of the driver's blind spot (ten feet in front of the bus) when walking away from the bus.
• Remove loose drawstrings or ties on jackets and sweatshirts and replace with Velcro, snaps, or buttons. Loose drawstrings or book bags can snag on bus handrails. Since April 1991, seven children have been killed as the bus dragged them alongside the vehicle when their clothing or other item got caught on the handrail or in the door.

Walking to School

Pedestrian injuries have become the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages five to 14. In 1993, nearly 860 children ages 14 and under died and another 29,000 were injured in pedestrian-related incidents. The Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition recommends that children under age ten never cross the street alone. Make sure your children follow these additional safety guidelines while walking to school:

• Choose the safest route and walk it with your children. Look for the most direct route with the fewest street crossings. Walk the route with your children until they demonstrate traffic safety awareness. They should take the same route every day and avoid shortcuts.
• Teach children to obey all traffic signals and markings. A flashing "walk" sign is not an automatic "go" signal. It means a pedestrian has permission to cross, but must first stop and look both ways for cars.
• Make sure children look in all directions before crossing the street. Teach older children to stop at the curb or edge of the road, and to look left, right, and left again for traffic before and while crossing the street.
• Teach children not to enter the street from between parked cars or from behind bushes or shrubs. Darting into the street accounts for the majority of pedestrian fatalities among children ages 14 and under.
• Teach children to cross the street at a corner or crosswalk. Make sure children allow plenty of time to cross. Teach them to walk, not run, across intersections. Tell your children to listen to adult crossing guards or safety patrols at monitored intersections.
• Warn children to be extra alert in bad weather. Visibility might be poor and motorists might not be able to stop quickly. Children should be reminded to be extra careful during inclement weather since it is harder for drivers to see them.
• Demonstrate proper pedestrian safety by being a good role model. Children imitate their parents and older peers and model their behavior. Your children need you to not only tell them, but also show them, how to be safe pedestrians. If there are older children in your home or neighborhood, express to them how important it is to be good role models.

Riding Bikes to School

Bicycle riding is a favorite pastime of children, with nearly 27 million riders ages 14 and under. Whether out of necessity or for fun, many of these children choose to ride their bikes to school. Unfortunately, bicycles are associated with more childhood injuries than any other consumer product except the automobile. In 1993, nearly 290 children ages 14 and under died in bicycle-related crashes. More than 260 of these children were killed in bicycle-related incidents involving motor vehicles. Approximately 400,000 children were treated in hospital emergency rooms for bicycle-related injuries in 1994. To keep your child safe, Kansas SAFE KIDS offers these safety tips for children riding bicycles to school:

• Bike helmets should be worn at all times when bicycling. Head injury is the leading cause of death in bike crashes. Head injuries account for more than 60 percent of bicycle-related deaths and about one-third of hospital emergency room bicycle-related visits. Bike helmets have been shown to reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent and the risk of brain injury by as much as 88 percent. Purchase an approved bike helmet for each child and make sure that it is worn correctly every time the child rides his or her bike.
• Children should not ride on the road without direct adult supervision until age ten.
• Plan a safe cycling route with your child and ride it with them. A safe cycling route to school 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 with limited traffic experience.
• Follow the rules of the road. Children who ride bikes to school should be taught to follow the rules of the road that apply to all vehicles. Ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, not against traffic; use appropriate hand signals; respect traffic signals; stop at all intersections, marked and unmarked; and stop and look left, right, and left again before crossing the street.
• Do not ride at night. Children should not be allowed to ride after dark. Riding in non-daylight conditions (e.g., at dawn, dusk, or night) is 3.6 times more risky for children ages 14 and under than is riding during the daytime.
• Schools should provide cyclists with "safe areas." Bike racks should be placed in areas where there are few motor vehicles and pedestrians. Avoid drop-off and pick-up zones in school parking lots.

Driving Your Child to School

In 1993, nearly 1,400 children ages 14 and under died and another 280,000 were injured as motor vehicle occupants. Seventy-five percent of motor vehicle crashes occur within 25 miles of home. In addition, 60 percent of crashes occur on roads with posted speed limits of 40 mph or less. To keep children safe, the Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition offers these safety tips for driving to school or participating in car pools:

• Always use child safety seats and/or safety belts correctly every time you ride. Remain belted until exiting the vehicle. Children who have outgrown a convertible seat (approximately 40-80 pounds, usually ages four to eight) should use a booster seat. Never carry more passengers that there are safety belts in the vehicle.
• There should be no loose or heavy objects in the passenger area of the car that could injure someone if you stop suddenly.
• The driver should allow extra time in the schedule to avoid the pressure of driving too fast when late.
• Arrange to pick up your child at a safe spot away from the congestion of cars around the school.
• Drop off your children as close to school as possible so that they do not have to cross the street, and make sure they enter and leave the car on the curb side.

Children and Air Bags

• The back seat is the safest place for children of any age to ride.
• Never place an infant (less than one year old) in a rearward-facing infant or convertible seat in the front passenger seat of a vehicle with a front passenger air bag. The back of a rear-facing infant or convertible seat rests too close to the air bag cover. Due to the considerable force with which an air bag deploys, close or direct contact with the air bag or cover may cause serious or fatal injuries to the child.
• If it is absolutely necessary for a child age 12 or under to ride in the front seat of a car with a front passenger side air bag:
• Never put an infant (less than one year old) in the front seat.
• Secure the child in a restraint system that is correct for the size of the child -- a front facing child safety seat, a booster seat, or a lap/shoulder belt.
• Move the front seat as far back from the dashboard as possible.
• Never allow a child to lean forward toward the dashboard.

Following these important safety guidelines and reviewing them each year with your children can help keep the back-to-school season a safe one. Parents and care givers can be the best teachers when it comes to childhood injury prevention. Make sure you and your child receive an A+ in back-to-school safety this year.

The Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition is a group of 60 statewide organizations and businesses that have joined to protect Kansas children from unintentional injury -- the leading killer of Kansas kids. Local coalitions and chapters are located in Wichita, Kansas City, Lawrence, Salina, Barber County, Topeka, Ford County, Manhattan, Pottawatomie County, and Clay County. Kansas SAFE KIDS is part of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign.

For more information, contact Jan Stegelman, (913) 296-1223.