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Daegu American School
"Warriors"
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Pedestrian Safety
According
to DoDEA-Regulation 4800.1, Section E 2.3.2; Schools, in coordination
with Student Transportation Offices, shall provide written bus and
pedestrian rules to students and parents at the beginning of each
school year.The
school officials are asking all parents to look into pedestrian safety
for their children to and from the school. Following are a few tips
to help the children.
Pedestrian Safety For Children
Parents
should thoroughly instruct youngsters on the proper walking route
to and from school or the bus stop and why it's important to stick to it.
Take youngsters
on a "Safety Walk" along the exact chosen route and point
out hazards to them.
Children should take the safest, most direct route. Encourage
the child to go straight to and from school or the bus stop, without
loitering along the way.
Walk directly across streets. Walking diagonally increases
the time you're exposed to cars.
Plan your route so that you minimize the number of roadway crossings, especially
at roads with high speed or heavy volume traffic.
Select the route with the fewest streets to cross. Consider
the traffic volume and speed, the number of parked cars and whether there
are sufficient gaps in traffic to cross safely.
If parked cars or other obstacles block your view of traffic, move out to where
drivers can see you and you can see vehicles.
Teach your children to use sidewalks, pathways or bike paths at every opportunity
as they provide buffer zones from traffic flow. If they must use a roadway teach them to walk on the left side of the road (facing traffic) and
to stay as far away from the traveled road surfaces as reasonable.
Where there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic and keep as far to the left
of the road as possible.
Try to restrict crossings to intersections that are guarded by a police
officer, an adult crossing guard, or a safety-patrol member. However, remember that
school-zone signals or the presence of adult crossing guards do not necessarily
guarantee a safe crossing. A child should still stop, look left-right-left
for approaching traffic and cross only when no vehicle is advancing.
When crossing a street, stop at the curb or edge of the road. Look left,
then right, then left again to see if a car is approaching. If a car
is coming let it pass and look left-right-left again until the road is clear.
Keep on looking left-right-left while you walk, until you have crossed
the street safely. Traffic patterns can change suddenly.
At intersections, be sure to look over your shoulder for turning vehicles.
You should also review with children the safest routes to a friend's house, the
playground, stores and other places where they may walk.
Never assume you have the right-of-way. Drivers may ignore traffic
signs and signals, and sometimes even strike pedestrians in marked crosswalks.
Wear brightly colored clothing to help drivers see you more easily.
In bad weather, don't let your umbrella or jacket hood block your view
of approaching cars. Also, allow extra time and distance for vehicles to stop. Look
left-right-left, keep looking until the road is clear. Once traffic
is clear, cross the street, checking for any sudden traffic changes.
At the stop, wait a safe distance from the roadway in an orderly fashion.
Don't stray onto streets, alleys or private property.
Because children learn more by example than by words it is important that you
set a good example by following safe walking rules and being consistent in your
safety habits.
Beware Of Bicycles
When the weather stays warm bicycle riders seem
to be everywhere. Bike
riders come in two distinct forms: the adult and the child and each presents
the school bus driver with unique challenges.
Children, whether bike riding to and from school or simply riding with
friends, present the bigger challenge. They are the more unpredictable and don't
always look both ways when they enter the roadway. Also, smaller children,
who are still in the learning mode, are unsteady and tend to "wobble" -
perhaps right into your path.
The best way to deal with children on bikes is to give them lots of room
and to signal them with your horn about 100 feet away. When you pass them,
do it with your hands on the wheel, finger on the horn and foot over the brake. This
way you will be prepared for the unexpected.
Adult riders present their own hazards. Although they are more confident
and steady on their bikes, they tend to take chances. They fail to
stop for STOP signs, accelerate to 30 mph on downgrades, swerve into the
road to
avoid a hole and sometimes pass along the right side of a line of vehicles
which are stopped at a light.
Because of these riding habits, you must always be on the alert. Although,
as experienced riders, adults are probably aware of your presence, a tap
on the horn is an extra precaution you could use.
Another potential hazard occurs in rural areas where narrow winding roads
often hide bike riders from sight until you are around the bend and directly
behind
them. In these areas reduce your speed and proceed with caution.
If your family bikes, skates or jogs in public areas, you must know and follow
the rules at all times and make sure everyone wears a safety helmet and other
protective gear.
