School's Back In Los Angeles!
It's back-to-school this week for LA Unified.That means more traffic, school buses on the road, and children walking or riding their bikes to school. It also means more distractions, so now's a great time for drivers and parents to do a quick review of general safety tips, courtesy of the Rabbi Lawyer.Tips For Drivers- Put down your phone. In fact, keep it out of reach.- Plan your route ahead of time so you're not rushing.- Give yourself extra time to get your kids to school before the bell rings. That might mean waking the kiddos up a little earlier if necessary. And If you're running late, take a deep breath, but don't vent your frustration on the gas pedal. The residential street adjacent to your child's school is not a racetrack, so please don't treat it like one.- Shortcuts, such as alleys, are not racetracks either. Be extra cautious when exiting the alley.- Follow the posted speed limit in the school zone. - Watch for children who may be jaywalking near the school campus. Just because they may be jaywalking doesn't give you a license to drive unsafely.- Obey the crossing guards' instructions.- Always stop for a school bus dropping off children. Those stop signs on the side of the bus are treated the same as a regular stop sign. Even if you see a bus beginning to move on from the stop, do not attempt to pass it.Tips For the Carpool LineI would be remiss if I didn't at least include a few courtesy tips for my many clients whose children attend yeshivas and participate in some form of carpool.- Put down your phone. In fact, keep it out of reach. (Notice a trend here?!)- If picking up or dropping off your children, do not park illegally. It can cause a domino effect of traffic hazards, and it's just plain discourteous!- Do not block entrances or exits.- Do not blare your horn! You may have successfully loaded your children in your car, but there are 4 cars ahead of you who haven't yet. Honking is not going to make them fulfill their objective any faster.- Once your children are safely in your car, please end the conversation with the mom in front of you so the cars behind you can retrieve their passengers.- Be extra vigilant, as children may dart out from in-between cars waiting in the carpool line.- Make sure your kids are actually sitting with their seat belts fastened before you begin driving.Tips For ChildrenParents should remind their children of some of the following basic safety rules.- Cross only at intersections. Do not jaywalk.- Do not ever run out into the street. Not even for your skateboard or basketball.- Follow the crossing guards' instructions.- If exiting the bus to cross to the other side of the street, do so in-front of the bus where the driver can see you, not behind it.- If riding a bicycle or scooter to school, always wear a helmet. It's the law, and it saves lives.- You can read more about riding a bicycle on the sidewalk here.In conclusion, remember that whether you're driving or waiting in the carpool line, put down your phone! We don't want any more statistics!Wishing all a wonderfully successful school year! For questions about your case, your Rabbi Lawyer is always here to assist.