We all know that back-to-school season can get hectic. But while you’re busy preparing your family for the start of another academic year, it’s important to set aside some time to refresh everyone’s memory on best practices for preventing accidents while traveling to and from school. Here are a few things our Bucks County school accident attorney recommends going over as a family before the first day of school arrives:
- Drop kids off in a way that minimizes danger to them and others nearby – When dropping your children off at school, you should never double park, as this may limit the visibility of other drivers. Furthermore, you should always stop for a bus that is loading or unloading children and leave a distance of at least 10 feet between your car and the bus. Finally, always try to drop your kids off as close to the school as possible, and avoid unloading them across the street from their place of learning whenever you can.
- Teach children how to safely board and get off a school bus – If your kids ride the school bus, be sure they know how to properly get on and off. For instance, they should stand at least 10 feet behind the curb until the bus has come to a complete stop and the driver has opened the door. And when it’s time to get off, they should always walk in front of the bus – never behind it – and look left, right, then left again before crossing the road.
- Make sure teen drivers are experienced before letting them drive to school – Driving while the roads are crowded with cars and buses en route to or from school requires motorists to exercise extreme caution and to closely follow the rules of school zones. Often, teenage drivers do not have the skills and practice needed to take on the responsibility of transporting themselves to school. To help keep your kids and others on the road safe, our school accident attorney in Bucks County suggests making sure teens are responsible, experienced drivers before allowing them to take the car to and from school.
- Think twice about rolling backpacks – Due to the strain that traditional backpacks can put on a child’s back, some parents think that wheeled backpacks are a safer choice for their kids. However, rolling school bags can actually be far more dangerous, as they pose a major tripping hazard for their users and other students around. With this in mind, we recommend sticking to a conventional backpack unless your child is unable to carry one.
Following this advice from our Bucks County school accident attorney will minimize your children’s risk of being involved in an incident this academic year. If you’re interested in more useful tips on safeguarding the people you love against accidents and injuries, take a look at our post on protecting your kids from sustaining an eye injury.
School Accident? We’re Here to Help Defend Your Family’s Rights
Although practicing the tips we’ve offered above will go far in helping the kids you care about stay safe this school year, the fact of the matter is that even the most cautious children can be victims of accidents when going back and forth between home and school. If your child is injured by a negligent party, you can rely on Gary Heslin, the school accident attorney Bucks County trusts, to offer your family skilled legal representation.
Over the past three decades, Mr. Heslin has fought tirelessly to achieve justice for young victims and their families in a number of school-related accident cases. In the event that you need similar assistance, he will be here to serve as your family’s school accident attorney in Bucks County. To learn more about Mr. Heslin or to set up a free consultation to discuss your case with him, call the Heslin Law Firm at (215) 332-0300. We sincerely hope your family never needs to contact a Bucks County school accident lawyer for any reason, but in case you do, you can count on us to offer professional legal guidance and to fight for your rights.