Red Cross offers Back to School safety reminders

–Red Cross offers back to school safety tips for parents and students.

According to information from the American Red Cross, with students heading back to school for the 2022-2023 school year, the organization is giving parents these safety tips to keep students safe.

In a statement from the Red Cross, Joel Sullivan, regional executive for the American Red Cross of the Tennessee Region said, “There are easy safety steps parents of younger students can take as children head to school for the first time.”

He continued by saying, “It is important that young children know their phone number, home address, how to get in touch with their parents at work, how to get in touch with another trusted adult and how to dial 9-1-1.”

And to keep children who ride the school bus safe, it is important that parents ensure that their children practice bus safety.

Students should arrive early to the bus stop area, always maintaining a safe distance away from the curbside and should only ride their assigned buses.

Parents should also remind children to always wait for the school bus to come to a complete stop before boarding or exiting and also never to walk behind the bus.

If your students are travelling to school by other means such as by car, walking, or riding bikes, parents should remind them of safety precautions.

Car riders should always wear a seat-belt and use car and booster seats properly.

Car and booster seats should be used until a child can properly wear a lap-shoulder belt safely, which is usually between ages 8-12. Children are suggested to maintain a back seat position until age 13.

Parents and other drivers should always maintain a text free and hands free drive, and refrain from eating or drinking while driving.

Parents of children who bike to school should ensure that children are using proper safety equipment such as helmets and pads. It is also recommended that bike traffic travel on the right side of the road in the same flow with traffic.

For those kids who walk to school they should also follow important safety precautions to maintain a safe route to school. Children should only cross the streets at intersections and preferably in areas that have crossing guards in place.

Children should also be reminded of rules such as not talking to strangers or taking rides from any unknown person.

Younger children should always be escorted by older siblings, parents, or walk in groups for their routes to school.

Drivers should always watch out for children, especially in the early morning hours before school begins and in the afternoon when school has adjourned.

It is also important for drivers to always stay alert and aware of children who are walking in or around school areas.

Slow down in these areas and be aware of bus safety and stopping in the event of a bus making an unexpected stop.

And of course if a bus has a stop sign engaged and red flashing lights always stop and maintain the position until the lights have stopped and the bus’s stop sign is back in position.

Other ways for parents to be safe and prepared for emergencies is by knowing basic first aid and keeping a first aid kit in their vehicle.

Parents should also make sure that children know who to contact in the event of an emergency, and the phone numbers to call.

The Red Cross offers tips on ways to have your family prepared in the event of an emergency and suggest that families have an emergency plan in place.

They also offer an app to assist with information on how to handle many most common first aid emergencies. To download that app, visit the website by clicking here.

The American Red Cross offers some courses in learning first aid, administering CPR and using AEDs. Find out more on what they offer and how to get signed up by visiting redcross.org/takeaclass.

For more information on building an emergency plan for your family, visit the Red Cross website here.

And to find out more information on the American Red Cross and all the work they do, visit www.redcross.org.