Kansas City Back-to-School Safety

Back-to-school is right around the corner for most students and parents in the Kansas City metro. Unfortunately, more school-age pedestrians have been killed between the hours of 3 and 4 p.m. than any other time of day. Our personal injury attorneys share some important back-to-school safety reminders and information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to help keep our students and young ones safe this school year.

For Parents

• Safety Starts at the Bus Stop: The NHTSA recommends that children and students arrive at their bus stop at least 5 minutes beforehand. This helps the bus driver and student avoid frantic action distractions. 
• Get On and Off Safely: When the school bus arrives, your child should wait until the bus comes to a complete stop, the door opens, and the driver says it’s okay before approaching the bus door. Your child should use the handrails to avoid falling.
• Use Caution Around the Bus: Your child should never walk behind a school bus. If your child must cross the street in front of the bus, tell him/her to walk on a sidewalk or along the side of the street to a place at least five giant steps (10 feet) in front of the bus before crossing.

For Drivers

• When backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage, watch out for children walking or bicycling to school.
• When driving in neighborhoods with school zones, watch out for young people who may be thinking about getting to school, but may not be thinking of getting there safely.
• Slow down. Watch for children walking in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks in the neighborhood.
• Watch for children playing and congregating near bus stops.
• Be alert. Children arriving late for the bus may dart into the street without looking for traffic.
• Learn and obey the school bus laws in your state, as well as the "flashing signal light system" that school bus drivers use to alert motorists of pending actions:
  • Yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.
  • Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off. Motorists must stop their cars and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop-arm is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.

Check out our other blogs for more information on student and school safety:

• Common Injuries at School: https://www.castlelaw-kc.com/blog/school-safety-announcement.cfm
• School Zone and School Bus Laws and Reminders: https://www.castlelaw-kc.com/blog/school-safety-announcement.cfm

Kansas and Missouri Local Law Enforcement

• Kansas City Missouri Police Department: (816) 234-5000
• Kansas City Kansas Police Department: (913) 573-6000
• Kansas Highway Patrol: (913) 782-8100
• Missouri Highway Patrol: (816) 622-0800
• Wyandotte County Police Department: (913) 596-3000
• Lenexa Police Department: (913) 477-7300
• Leawood Police Department: (913) 642-5555
• Overland Park Police Department: (913) 895-6300
• Olathe Police Department: (913) 971-7500

Contact us if you would like to speak with a personal injury attorney in Kansas or Missouri.