For those whose children ride their bikes to school, parents should teach them to:

Always wear a properly fitting helmet with the chinstrap fastened.
Use bike lanes when they're available.
Ride in the same direction as traffic and follow all traffic signs and signals.
Never use electronics while riding their bicycle.

Pedestrian safety

While drivers should always be on the lookout for pedestrians, it is important to use extra caution in school zone and neighborhoods. Parents whose children walk to school should teach them to:

Use sidewalks, or walk on the edge of the street facing traffic if there is no sidewalk.
Use marked crosswalks and look in both directions before crossing the road.
Never push, play or shove others around traffic.
Put their phones away while walking so they can pay attention to their surroundings.

Teen driver safety

Some parents have reached the age where their children are able to drive themselves to school, and it's important to emphasize these safety tips for their teen drivers:

Put their phones away and do not use them while driving.
Limit the number of passengers in their car to decrease distractions.
Make sure all occupants in their vehicle are wearing their seatbelts before they begin moving.
Follow all posted speed limits.

Pedestrian safety

Teen driver safety

Related:

Special Reports /

NHTSA shares back-to-school driving safety tips

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