Safe routes to school

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

This time of year, our focus is on getting kids ready to go back to school. We give a lot of thought to buying just the right school supplies, reestablishing our school day routine, and packing safe school lunches. We should also be teaching or reminding kids of tips for staying safe while traveling to and from school.

The Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative has worked with communities for the last nine years to encourage active transportation to and from school. You can learn more at www.iowafoodandfitness.org.

Remind your child that if they are walking to school, they should always walk on the sidewalk; choose the sidewalk on the side of the street that allows them to face traffic; always look both ways before crossing; and don’t run out from between parked cars.

If your child will be biking to school, make sure your child has a helmet that fits well and that they wear the helmet; always stop before coming into an intersection; and teach your kids the rules of the road for riding a bike.

Many communities have walking or biking school buses where adult volunteers supervise designated routes to school. To learn about the routes at your school, contact your school or Ashley Christensen, Safe Routes to School Coordinator, at achristensen@uerpc.org or 563-382-6171.

If your child rides the school bus, make sure your child knows the proper way to get on and off of a school bus; let them know that they need to be able to see the bus driver at all times if they need to cross in front of the bus (that crossing should be 10 feet ahead of the bus) and tell them to stand at least six feet away from the curb while waiting for the bus to arrive.

You may want to make a practice trip to the school with younger children who will be walking or biking to school. Here’s to a great school year!