School Parking Lot Safety
School parking lots are very congested at the beginning and ending of each school day. Private vehicles and buses will be entering the school parking lot to deliver or pick up students all at the same time. During the cold winter months, snow and ice increase the need to use caution to prevent injury to children or damage to vehicles and facilities.
Other People Are Reading
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Private Vehicles
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Small children can be very difficult to see as they move around parked cars. At the end of the school day, students may be tempted to rush out into the parking lot in a hurry to get home after school. Many schools have established designated areas for parents to drop off and pick up their children. Adults that serve as parking lot safety monitors are responsible to keep students on the sidewalk until it is safe to get into the car with their parents.
School Buses
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At the end of the school day, arriving school buses can present a real danger to children standing on the edge of the sidewalk. School bus monitors need to keep students back behind the yellow safety line that is painted on the edge of the sidewalk. Students should wait for the bus without pushing and shoving so that there is no danger of someone falling in front of a moving bus. Small children and physically challenged students may need assistance to safely get up the bus entrance steps.
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Strangers
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At the beginning or at the end of the school day it is easy for unauthorized individuals to enter the parking lot looking for unattended children to take advantage of. Teachers escorting their students to waiting buses or out to waiting parents, need to ensure that their students get into the correct bus or into the correct car safely. Any unknown or suspicious individual lurking in the parking lot should be reported to the school office and questioned concening their reason for being on school property.
Considerations
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Schools should establish procedures that are designed to ensure the safety of students, parents, and staff arriving and departing school property. Students should not arrive mare than 30 minutes before school starts, and parents should never leave small children unattended outside of the building in the parking lot. Parents and students waiting in their car for the school doors to open should park in designated areas and not block drop-off and pick-up lanes.
Inclimate Weather
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During the winter months, there are many issues that affect parking lot safety. Icy conditions on parking lots require drivers to slow down and use extreme caution. Children wearing heavy coats and boots will not be able to maneuver quick enough to avoid a car that is sliding. Students rushing to get into the car with parents may slip and fall into the path of a vehicle. School district maintenance personnel should be very diligent in keeping sidewalks and parking lot crosswalks clear of ice and snow.
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References
Resources
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