School Safety Reminders

School Safety Reminders

More than 50 million children returned to school this fall, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission in Washington, D.C. That means more traffic, busier rush hours, and a greater need for patience while driving.

At this time of year drivers are likely to encounter things like stopped school buses, children on bicycles and scooters, and more pedestrian traffic. Unfortunately, this may sometimes translate into more accidents involving our young people.

In light of our continuing emphasis on safety issues, we thought that this month it may be a good reminder to review some important back to school safety tips!

School Bus Safety:

• Make sure your child has a safe place to wait for the bus.
• Instruct your child to stay away from the bus until it comes to a complete stop.
• Upon exiting the bus it is important that the child move to a sidewalk or other area that is away from traffic and out of the street.
• Your child needs to understand that the bus driver will not be able to see him/her if he/she bends over in front of the bus to pick something up.

Bicycle Safety:

• Make sure that your child wears a helmet when riding a bike or scooter.
• In addition to wearing a helmet, we recommend elbow and knee pads when riding a scooter.

Play Safety:

• Do not buy children's clothing that uses drawstrings - they are a strangulation hazard as they can catch on playground equipment and other items.
• Anchor and secure movable soccer goals to prevent injury to children who climb on them.

Car Safety:

• Seatbelts are not optional. They are mandatory if in a car.
• Remember to properly use and secure car seats and booster seats.

After School and General Safety:

• Help your child map out a walking or biking route that is direct and safe for him/her if he/she travels to and from school this way.
• If your child walks or bikes to school we suggest that you have him/her wear reflective material that will make him/her more visible to traffic.
• Make sure your child knows his/her phone number, address and how to reach you during the day if necessary.
• Teach your child not to talk to strangers or accept a ride from a stranger.
• If you child is home alone after school, you need a set of rules that will ensure his/her safety.
• Be sure your child knows how to use 9-1-1 in case of emergency.

Please remember that our Daggett Shuler Team is always available to answer your legal questions and talk with you personally should you or someone you know be the victim of an accident or injury that occurred through no fault of your own.

Buckle Up

Buckle Up

Please help us keep our children, families and friends safe.  Failure to wear safety belts is a greater contributing factor in deaths than any other safety related behavior in our lives.

In North Carolina it is now the law that all passengers, both front and back seat, must wear seat belts.  As part of our Safe Sober Prom Night program, we constantly remind our young people that the most dangerous thing they do is ride in a car, regardless of drinking, so for goodness sake please buckle up.  This year we have a success story that saved two lives!

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly one in five Americans do not regularly wear seatbelts.  Even fewer drivers are wearing seatbelts at night.  A study by the NHTSA  shows that 64 percent of passengers killed in nighttime accidents were not wearing seatbelts.

Those are the statistics, but how does the use of safety belts really affect us??   Safety belts when used properly reduce the number of serious traffic injuries by 50 percent and fatalities by 60-70 percent.  A common cause of death and injury to children in motor vehicles is being crushed by adults who are not wearing safety belts.  One out of four serious injuries to passengers is caused by occupants being thrown into each other.  Of every 100 children who die in motor vehicle crashes at least 80 would have survived if they had been properly secured in an approved child safety seat or safety belts.

Seat belt use is one of the best defenses we have when in a motor vehicle.  Interestingly, other folks in our cars are more likely to wear their safety belts if we do.  Moreover, children are at the highest risk but are also the most likely to follow our lead.  So, please set a good example and help keep our young people safe.

Our North Carolina personal injury attorneys see too many victims of traffic accidents. Don't become a statistic. Buckle up, and make sure everyone in the car has a seatbelt on, too.   Remember, it’s not only the law, but also the most lifesaving thing we can do.