How to Drive in School Zones

It's easy to forget what it's like to be a kid. But drivers, especially when they're in school zones, always need to remember how children think and act around traffic.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Car Manuals
• Traffic Rule Books
• Car Navigation System
• Car Insurance
• Cars

1. Slow down. Don't speed around schools or in neighborhoods.

2. Watch for school zones. If any school-zone sign in your neighborhood is not easily seen, work with the school to get the situation fixed.

3. Take special care around school buses. In some states, laws require cars to remain stopped for as long as a school bus loads and unloads its passengers.

4. Expect the unexpected. A child's reaction to danger differs from that of an adult. Sometimes the approach of a car will prompt a child to run faster across the street instead of staying on the sidewalk as an adult may do.

5. Expect what's to be expected, too. When a ball or a dog goes into the street, look for a child to follow.

6. Watch the ground. Sometimes a glimpse of feet is the only warning that a young pedestrian is about to enter traffic. Look also for bicycle wheels, dog paws and moving shadows.

7. Scan from side to side to stay aware of children playing on the sidewalk or along the road. Because their eyesight and hearing are still developing, children may not always sense when a moving car presents danger. In fact, a surprising number of youngsters become injured running into the sides of cars.

8. Look around, under and between cars and other objects. Because children are small, they can be hidden.

9. Be alert in parking lots. The street is not the only place of danger. The combination of kids, buses and cars trigger a lot of incidents in school parking lots and driveways. Don't let your guard down.