Back-to-School Safety Tips

Back-to-school time is just around the corner. As part of our commitment to overall safety, Apollo Insurance Services would like to help you with your preparations by offering these simple safety tips:

•Plan a walking route to school or the bus stop.

Choose the most direct way with the fewest street crossings and, if possible with intersections that have crossing guards.

•Walk the route with your child beforehand.

Tell him or her to stay away from parks, vacant lots, fields and other places where there aren’t many people around.

•Teach your child never to talk to strangers or accept rides or gifts from strangers.

Remember, a stranger is anyone you or your children don’t know well or don’t trust.

• Teach your kids — whether walking, biking, or riding the bus to school to obey all traffic signals, signs and traffic officers. Remind them to be extra careful in rainy weather.

• When driving kids, deliver and pick them up as close to the school as possible.

Don’t leave until they are in the schoolyard or building

•Teach children to arrive at the bus stop early, stay out of the street, wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before approaching the street, watch for cars and avoid the driver’s blind spot.

•Remind your children to stay seated at all times and keep their heads and arms inside the bus while riding.

When exiting the bus, children should wait until the bus comes to a complete stop, exit from the front using the handrail to avoid falls and cross the street at least 10 feet (or 10 giant steps) in front of the bus.

• Be sure that your child knows his or her home phone number and address, your work number, the number of another trusted adult and how to call 911 for emergencies.