Back to School Tips for Students in Orange, CA

There are few cities that have as much going on as Orange and the Los Angeles area in California, and the time we spend driving between important destinations is something we often try to do as fast as possible. But if there was ever a time and place to drive with patience and care, it’s when and where our children are walking, biking, and taking buses to and from school.

With the arrival of the new school year, we need to remind ourselves that school zones, school buses, and school parking lots are areas with special traffic rules that help keep students of all ages safe. When driving in and around these areas, following these tips will help you do your part to keep our children safe around traffic.

Safe Driving in School Zones

You’ve probably seen them while driving; school zones are a special designation for the streets that surround a school, where students are most likely to be walking, cycling, or getting in and out of vehicles. These zones are labeled with traffic signs and instructions and often have flashing lights to help you notice them. When driving through any school zone, keep the following driving habits in mind:

• Because children can be hard to see and sometimes do impulsive things, always slow down in school zones and drive the posted lower speed limits when children are present. Especially don’t be distracted by your phone, devices, or passengers.
• Always follow the instructions of any neighborhood volunteer or student crossing guards whose job is to help children navigate safely through traffic during exceptionally busy times and places.
• Look for students at crosswalks and intersections who are trying to cross through traffic. Yield to them so they can cross safely, and try not to block crosswalks with your vehicle while waiting for turns, which can steer children into traffic.
• Traffic in school zones can move even slower than the posted speed limits or even come to a complete stop, but there’s almost always a good reason. Be ready for unexpected stops, and don’t dangerously pass vehicles that have slowed or stopped for pedestrians.
• Use extra care around elementary schools where children are even smaller and harder to see, especially when they’re walking or running between or around parked cars.
• During the school year, look for school zone signs when you drive around new places in case you come across a school zone you’ve never seen before. Awareness is the most important attribute of a good driver, and paying attention to traffic signs helps keep students safe.
• In the places you routinely drive, knowing the school zones you frequently travel through and honoring their rules not only helps keep students safe but also inspires other drivers to practice safe driving in school zones as well.
• Use as much care near school zones as in them. Schools will often be surrounded by neighborhoods or business areas that students will also be moving through during school hours.

Safe Driving Around School Buses

If you’ve been driving for any amount of time, you’ve probably shared the road with school buses that take large groups of students to and from school. School buses will be clearly marked, usually painted in bright yellow to help you and other drivers notice them easily. Here are some tips when school buses are present while you’re driving:

• School buses can make stops to pick up and drop off students just about anywhere, so when you see a school bus, be prepared to stop and wait for children to safely get in or out.
• Always stop for school buses when their stop sign is extended, whichever direction the bus is going and whichever lane you are in. This will allow students to get on and off the bus or cross the street safely.
• School buses are large vehicles that don’t stop or turn as easily as cars, so give them extra space. When driving in front of or behind a school bus, keep extra distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you in case you have to perform an emergency stop.
• Use care when driving near parked school buses. Whether in parking lots or streets, parked school buses often have students somewhere nearby.

Safe Driving in School Parking Lots

Parking lots are some of the most confusing and unpredictable places you’ll have to navigate as a driver, and when you add in students moving between parked cars and across driveways who can be distracted and impulsive, you have even more reason to drive carefully and slowly. Here are some driving tips to keep in mind when you’re making your way in and out of school grounds at crowded times of the day:

• Follow planned routes for designated drop-off and pick-up lanes. Most schools have put a lot of thought and planning into how to make it as safe and efficient as possible for vehicles to drop off or pick up students.
• Avoid trying to take shortcuts and bend rules when driving your kids to school, such as dropping them off along a busy street to avoid crowded driveways and long drop-off lines. Taking the time to honor the systems put in place by the school is the best way to keep children safe.
• School is a busy time that requires you to be patient and focused when driving. Don’t let traffic congestion rush you into making a tragic mistake. Take the time you need to check for student traffic before turning or backing up.

Are You Ready To Drive Safely for Students?

At Mazda of Orange, we know how important our children are, and making sure they are safe as they walk, cycle, and take the bus to school is one of the most important things we can do as drivers. We hope these important tips will help you keep students safe around traffic. And if your vehicle needs a little help keeping our children safe, we hope you’ll let us get you in a safe vehicle you can count on. Contact us to let us know how we can help you drive safely throughout the busy school year.

Walking to School by Elizabeth is licensed with CC BY 2.0