With the start of the school year quickly approaching, mornings and afternoons will find streets busier with both vehicle and pedestrian traffic. It’s essential for drivers to be aware of our student walkers and to be vigilant when traveling the roadways.

It’s equally important that our student walkers and cyclists use safe practices when commuting to and from school.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has a checklist to help keep everyone safe and reminds all drivers to watch out for children and follow all traffic laws, including speed limits in school zones, yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks, and not passing school buses when their lights are flashing and stop arms are extended.

Here are some tips to ensure your safety, as well as the safety of students this school year.

Walking safety

• Parents should walk their child’s route each year to become familiar with and identify any changes or hazards that may be present.

• Walkers should use crosswalks, stand at the corner of the intersection, and look both ways before crossing. If no crosswalks are provided, always walk facing traffic, watch for turning vehicles and make sure vehicles come to a complete stop before crossing.

• Walkers should never enter a street between parked cars due to limited visibility to drivers and should walk far enough in front of stopped vehicles so they are clearly seen. Students should walk, not run while crossing the streets.

• As an added precaution, parents could add bright or reflective items to a child’s backpack to help increase visibility.

• Drivers should take extra time and precautions to ensure the safety of student walkers. Drivers should slow down and be alert and patient in school zones and at intersections, medians and curbs where students may travel to or from school.

• Drivers should be prepared for children to enter the roadways and leave plenty of space when stopped near crosswalks so other drivers can see any approaching pedestrians.

• Drivers are encouraged to be patient when other vehicles are stopped for pedestrians and not pass those vehicles.

• In conjunction with state laws, drivers should not be talking on cellphones or texting while driving.

• Students should refrain from using electronic devices while walking or cycling to or from school. If you must talk or text, stop and move to the side of the walkway.

Also, never cross the street while using an electronic device and avoid wearing earphones.

• Be alert for an increase in bicyclists. To prevent collisions, drivers should anticipate bicyclists who may not follow the rules of the roadway.

Stop for school buses

Many students rely on school buses to get them to and from school safely.

If you are driving, remember these simple rules:

• Yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. You should slow down and prepare to stop your vehicle.

• Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off. You must stop your car and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop-arm is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving, before you can start driving again.

Even when lights aren’t flashing, watch for children, particularly in the morning or midafternoon, around school arrival and dismissal times. Be alert as you back out of a driveway, or drive through a neighborhood, school zone or bus stop.

Parents — talk bus safety with your children:

Your child should arrive at the bus stop at least 5 minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.

Teach them to play it SAFE:

• Stay at least 10 feet — five giant steps — away from the curb.

• Always wait until the bus comes to a complete stop and the bus driver signals for you to board.

• Face forward after finding a seat on the bus.

• Exit the bus after it stops and look left-right-left for cars before crossing a street.

For more information on Back-to-School Safety, visit NHTSA.gov/BacktoSchool.