Important Motorist, Pedestrian Safety Reminders

Private vehicles may not be in the bus loop in front of the school.
  
The parent unloading area for children driven to school is clearly marked.  Parents may use this area only to drop children off or pick them up; do not park in the unloading zone.  Parents who wish to walk their children into the building must park in a designated parking space.

Parents who drive their children to and from school must follow traffic laws.  New York State traffic laws prohibit vehicles from passing school buses on school grounds, as well as public roadways.

Students are cautioned to enter roadways carefully and only after looking in both directions.  Parents are urged to remind students frequently to be aware of safety rules while awaiting buses at designated stops and when leaving their buses to return home.

Pedestrian Safety

Pedestrian safety is of primary importance, whether students ride the school bus, drive to and from school or are driven in a family vehicle, ride their bikes or walk.  Parents, please help children learn and remember these tips:

• Always walk on the sidewalk
  • If there is no sidewalk, and you have to walk in the road, always walk facing traffic, so you can see any car that might go out of control, and they can see you
• Dress to be seen
  • Brightly colored clothing makes it easier for drivers to see you during the daytime.  At night, you need to wear special reflective material on your shoes, cap or jacket to reflect the headlights of cars coming towards you
• Cross only at corners or marked crosswalks
• Never dart out into the road
• Stop at the curb or the edge of the road and look left, then right, then left again, then over your shoulder for turning traffic, before you step into the street.  
• If you see a car, wait until it goes by.  Then look left, right and left again until no cars are coming.
• If a vehicle is parked where you are crossing, make sure there is no driver in the car. 
  • If there is a vehicle with a driver, be sure you make eye contact with the driver and that they signal to you that it is OK to cross.  Then go to the edge of the car and look left-right-left until no cars are coming.  Keep looking for cars while you are crossing, and remember: walk.  Don’t run

This information was adapted from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).   
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