ANSBACH, Germany (Aug. 21, 2014) -- After two months of summer vacation and the new academic school year beginning Monday, it's back-to-school time for the parents, guardians and approximately 700 school-age children across U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach.
Whether children walk, ride their bicycle, or take the bus to school, it is extremely important that they follow some basic safety precautions. Here are some things you should discuss with your children before Monday:
• Looking over policies and rules: Review the school policies regarding clothing and using cellphones, iPods and similar devices. Also, review the bus safety rules with your children if they will ride the bus to and from school.
• Listening: Using portable headphones, earphones, cellphones, iPods, or other entertainment devices while walking or riding a bicycle may be in style, but earphones mask the sound of traffic and place their wearers in danger.
• Looking both ways: Cross the street at designated crosswalks. Check for traffic before stepping into the crosswalk.
• Walking together: For children 10 or younger, make sure you walk with them and take advantage of the opportunity to spend quality time with your children.
• Reviewing bicycle policy: Children that ride a bicycle to school must ensure their bicycle is serviceable and wear approved bicycle safety helmets. Children observed without a helmet will be directed to dismount their bicycle and walk or carry it to their destination. For children 10 and younger, they must ride their bicycles on the sidewalk. For older children, please ensure they know and understand the rules of the road -- especially hand signals -- when riding a bicycle in the traffic environment.
• Skateboarding and roller-skating: Skateboarding and roller-skating on streets is prohibited. Children roller-skating or skateboarding in the streets will be required to dismounted and carry their device to their destination.
Although the military police will be at the schools to help direct traffic and ensure the safety of children on school grounds, getting them to school safely is an individual and community responsibility. All motorists need to know how to safely share the road with school buses, pedestrians and bicyclists.
• Passing School Buses: Stopping for school buses when they are loading or unloading is the law. When off post, however, vehicles may pass a school bus while it's loading or unloading passengers. The area 10 feet around a school bus is where children are in the most danger of being hit. Stop your vehicle far enough from the bus to allow children the necessary space to safely enter and exit the bus.
• Being aware of children: Children are the least predictable pedestrians and the most difficult to see. Children walking to or from their bus stops or school are usually very comfortable with their surroundings. This makes them more likely to take risks, ignore hazards or fail to look both ways when crossing the street. Take extra care to look out for children not only near schools but also in residential areas, playgrounds and parks.
• Watching out for bikes: Bikes can come out of driveways or from behind parked cars and other obstructions. When passing a cyclist proceeding in the same direction, do so slowly and leave at least a three-foot distance between you and the cyclist. Maintain this clearance until you have safely passed the bicycle.
• Observing the road: If you are dropping off your children, please obey traffic signs and the military police, who are on hand. Keep intersections clear, obey the speed limit and watch out for children who may run in and out of traffic, especially from around parked vehicles.
Getting children to school safely is only part of the equation for a successful school year. We have a caring team of principals, teachers and administrators at our schools. Nevertheless, with 700 school-age children, school personnel can't do it alone. It's time for us as parents and guardians to help our children get back into school mode and create a nurturing environment at home. We need to look at this year's school schedule to determine where we can pitch in to make the 2014-2015 school year excellent and memorable for our children.
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