Let’s Go

1. Let’s Go Safety Tips In School Zones August 2013 For

2. Sharing The Road With School Buses • The start of the school year brings with it heavier traffic and more people • That route you easily navigated this summer will be more congested and take longer to run • Professional drivers will want to be even more aware of their surroundings • Last year 475,000 school buses took to the roads

3. Sharing The Road With School Buses • In school zones yield to buses and give them the right of way • When following a bus don’t take a chance with an unsafe pass • Be sure you can perform the pass safely in an authorized passing zone • Don’t force the bus driver into a sudden stop or cause him to swerve off the road • As drivers we must use common sense, be courteous and stay within the law • When you see a school bus think caution

4. Sharing The Road With School Buses • All 50 states have a law making it illegal to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children • Yellow flashing lights alert motorists that they are preparing to stop • Red flashing lights and an extended stop sign arm signals motorists that the bus is stopped • All 50 states require that traffic in both directions stop on a undivided roadway when students are entering or exiting a school bus • While state laws vary on what is required on a divided roadway, in all cases, traffic behind the school bus (traveling in the same direction) must stop

5. Sharing The Road With Child Pedestrians • The area 10 feet around a school bus is where children are in the most danger of being hit • Never pass a school bus on the right. It is illegal and could have tragic consequences • Be alert. Children are unpredictable

6. Sharing The Road With Child Pedestrians • Do not text or talk on your cell phone while driving. • Slow down and obey all traffic laws and speed limits • Be alert for school zones that have a reduced speed limit at designated times of the day

7. Sharing The Road With Child Pedestrians • Keep an eye out for children walking in the street • Be alert for children playing and gathering near bus stops • When driving in neighborhoods or school zones, watch for young people who may be in a hurry

8. Sharing The Road With Child Pedestrians • All drivers need to recognize the special safety needs of pedestrians, especially children • Generally, pedestrians have the right-of-way at all intersections • You as a driver are obligated to exercise great care and extreme caution to avoid striking pedestrians

9. Sharing The Road Safely With Child Bicyclists • Children riding bicycles create special problems because they are not capable of proper judgment in determining traffic conditions. • Watch for bicycle riders turning in front of you without looking or signaling, especially if the rider is a child. • Take extra precautions in school zones and neighborhood areas where children and teenagers might be riding.

10. Back-To-School Tips For Truck Drivers • In addition to buses, others will be driving small children to and from school • College students and teenagers will be driving themselves to school • Secondary roads near neighborhoods and schools typically see the greatest traffic increases • Avoid metropolitan areas during rush hour

11. Additional Safety Tips • Maintain Your Vehicle Properly Many accidents are caused by vehicle malfunctions • Get Plenty of Rest to Stay Alert There are restrictions on the hours of service for a reason • Be Mindful of Blind Spots Areas of the road that are not visible in a vehicle's mirrors • Maintain Sufficient Distance Between Vehicles Large trucks take more time to stop than smaller vehicles • Obey the Rules of the Road Truckers are not excluded from following speed limits, seat belt laws, or any other safety rules of the road OmniSource Transport 4894 13276

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