6 Friendly Reminders About School Safety in Richmond, Va

As a Realtor in Richmond, VA I'm on the road a lot. Most mornings I drive my son to daycare. Driving to daycare this morning the roads were sprinkled along the way were children waiting for the school bus to pick them up for the first day of school. Many of them were accompanied by parents either standing nest to them or sitting in the car while they waited for the big yellow bus to whisk them off to a new year at school. I could almost hear some of the concern running through the parent's minds as they waited for their children to be on their way.

 

In my household it was also a new beginning of school. My 3 year old son moved up to a new classroom at daycare. He had been in the room several times before, but this morning something was different. He got shy all of a sudden and did not want to go into the classroom. After a little encouragement he eventually went into his classroom, but he wasn't ready to interact with his peers. I'm sure a few minutes after I left all of his fears vanished and he was off playing with his old friends and a few new ones.

 

With all the children out on the streets in the mornings and coming home in the afternoon there are a few things we need to be reminded about. Too often children are not as aware (or awake) as they should be so we all need to be on the lookout. Here's my list of Six things to be extra aware of as this new school year starts:

1. Do not pass a school bus loading or unloading children is the lights are flashing or not unless you are traveling on a road that has a physical barrier between you and the bus. This is the easiest way to avoid (or get) a ticket.
2. Pay extra attention when you notice a school bus loading or unloading children. Children can be unpredictable, distracted, or unaware of dangerous situations. (and often don't look when crossing the street.)
3. When the lights on a school bus flash yellow the bus is about to stop to load or unload children. When the lights start flashing red the bus is stopped and children and getting on or off. 
4. Fines for speeding in school zones can be hefty and the laws are strict. If you get a speeding ticket in a school zone a minimum of 3 points are automatically added to your license and you could potentially lose your license for up to six months.
5. Maximum speed limit in school zones is 25 mph unless otherwise posted. Look for flashing lights that indicate the lower speed limit on roads you've been traveling recently. 
6. While both mornings and afternoons are when children are going to or coming from school most accidents involving children and school buses occur between 3 PM and 4 PM. Please drive with extra caution both in the morning and afternoon.