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Back-To-School Programs Pedestrian Safety Bicycle Safety

The crunch of leaves beneath our feet, the crisp autumn air, the laughter of school children reunited with friends, the roar of the crowd at a football game ... these are the sounds and scenes of fall that conjure up happy images. Despite what the calendar may say, many of us think of September as the beginning of the year and our internal clocks reset as the days get shorter.

But we need to remember the changing season’s potential for tragedy: children’s return to a school routine increases the risk of pedestrian, bicycle and school bus-related injuries. The shorter daylight hours increase dangerous night driving, and Halloween spurs what is undoubtedly the biggest one-day surge of pedestrians to our neighborhood streets. Fall is the ideal time to launch or reinvigorate school bus, bicycle and pedestrian safety programs or campaigns aimed at teaching child transportation safety. This activities guide offers you suggestions on several ways to focus your traffic safety program during this time of year.

In addition to materials cited in Program Publications for Planner 19, this Program Planner includes ready-to-use consumer materials in the form of the Child Transportation Safety Tips:

• Tip #2 (Where Should Your Child Ride?);
• Tip #5 (How Should Preschool and School Children Ride Safely?);
• Tip #10 (Play It Safe: Walking and Biking Safely for Toddlers and Preschoolers);
• Tip #11 (Kids on the Move: Walking and Biking Safely for Kindergarten to Grade Three);
• Tip #12 (School Bus Stops: A Risky Part of the Ride);
• Tip #13 (Handrails and Drawstrings: Clothing Causes School Bus Hazard); and
• Tip #14 (Beyond the Front Yard: Creating Safer Streets and Play Places for Children).