Start The School Year Safely With Back To School Pedestrian Safety

As school buses return to the roads and students head back into classrooms, our neighborhoods become busier both on the road and on the sidewalk. Whether you’re a parent, driver, student, or student driver, practicing back-to-school pedestrian safety is essential to preventing accidents and helps keep everyone safe during one of the busiest times of the year. 

The Mehlville Fire Protection District strongly encourages all drivers to be mindful of their surroundings and keep an eye out for parents and children walking, riding bikes, or crossing the street. Keeping all members of our community safe is an integral part of our mission, and that starts with ensuring that all school-age children learn how to cross the street safely, that drivers slow down in school zones, and support the first responders who are making an effort to create a safer community for our residents. 

Walking to school is an excellent way for children to build a sense of independence and autonomy, as well as stay active, but it also teaches them to be responsible for their own safety. For parents, knowing how to keep your kids safe while they are walking to school begins by instilling them with good habits before they ever head into a classroom.

Teach your children how to safely get to and from school by:

• Mapping and following the safest route to school
• Practice the walk with your younger children
• Teach your students to be mindful of their surroundings
• Explain the rules for crosswalks and how to cross safely

On top of the skills outlined above, it’s also important that you help your children follow these essential safety tips so they can get to and from school safely:

• Always use designated crosswalks and obey traffic signals.
• Make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street.
• Look left, right, then left again before stepping into traffic.
• Walk on sidewalks whenever available.
• If no sidewalk exists, walk facing oncoming traffic.
• Avoid running across streets or crossing between parked vehicles.
• Wear bright or reflective clothing when walking in low-light conditions.
• Stay alert and keep electronic devices put away while walking.

Teaching these simple habits early helps children develop lifelong pedestrian safety skills and significantly reduce their risk of being in pedestrian-versus-vehicle accidents.

The responsibility of keeping our district’s school-age children safe not only lies with the parents, but it also comes down to practicing safe driving and following the traffic laws for school zones. During pickup and drop-off, school zones can become overcrowded, making safe-driving practices even more essential.

Young children can be unpredictable—darting into the streets, jaywalking, or becoming unaware of their surroundings due to access to technology or their friends—putting them at risk and placing the burden of everyone’s safety on the driver. That’s why practicing active driver awareness can significantly reduce the risk of a crash and protect both our local drivers and young pedestrians. 

Every driver should remember these essential school zone driving safety tips:

• Slow down and obey posted school zone speed limits.
• Eliminate distracted driving by putting away phones and avoiding other distractions.
• Stop completely for school buses when required by law.
• Watch carefully for children near parked cars and intersections.
• Yield to pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks.
• Never pass vehicles stopped at crosswalks.
• Follow the directions of the school crossing guards.
• Allow extra travel time during morning and afternoon school traffic.

Taking a few small actions while behind the wheel can make a world of difference in protecting our local children and yourself during this upcoming school year.

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How can parents teach pedestrian safety?

Parents are a child’s first line of defense and their first and most important teacher. To best prepare your children for the upcoming school year, follow these simple steps:

• Practice your daily routes together before the school year begins
• Show your children how to recognize and understand traffic signals
• Demonstrate how to use crosswalks properly and obey crossing guards
• Teach your children to make eye contact with drivers before they begin to cross

The more children practice these safe behaviors, and they are regularly reinforced by parents or guardians, the more confident they’ll become and the more they’ll use these essential skills.

What age should children walk to school alone?

Since every child matures differently, no universal age determines when a child should walk alone to school. Safety experts recommend that an adult or older sibling should accompany all children under the age of ten until they demonstrate they can make safe decisions and consistently follow their route.

How can students avoid distracted walking?

Distracted walking is becoming an increasingly common problem, especially with the introduction of smartphones and other convenient forms of technology in school environments. It’s important that parents teach their children to keep their smartphones and other devices put away while they’re walking and to remain vigilant until they’ve safely reached their destination.

How can communities avoid school zone accidents?

Creating safer spaces for our children and our drivers requires a lot of teamwork. Our communities can work together to improve safety by taking the following steps:

• Maintaining sidewalks and crosswalks
• Supporting crossing guard programs
• Improving street lighting
• Enforcing stricter speed limits
• Encourage families to use designated pickup and drop-off areas

One of the most effective ways to prevent pedestrian accidents is through increased driver awareness. Drivers should always expect children to be present near schools, especially during high-traffic times such as pickup and drop-off.

Drivers should practice the following skills:

• Slowing down before intersections
• Yielding to pedestrians, even when a crossguard isn’t present
• Scanning for children entering the roadway
• Remaining alert

Likewise, children should understand that having the right of way doesn’t always mean a driver sees them. Teaching students to make eye contact before stepping off the street reinforces the shared responsibility for their safety.

Keeping children and members of our community safe during the school year starts with preparation, awareness, and consistent teamwork. Whether you’re teaching your child safe walking habits, driving through busy school zones, or supporting community safety initiatives, every action helps reduce preventable accidents.

The Mehlville Fire Protection District is committed to promoting back to school pedestrian safety through education and community outreach. By following these pedestrian safety tips and encouraging responsible driving, families and neighborhoods can help ensure every student arrives at school—and home—safely throughout the year.

Contact us today for more information on how to instill pedestrian safety or to learn more about how you can help make your community safer.

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