Getting back to school may trigger a multitude of emotions to kids but parents have to be on red-alert mode. The statistics do sound severe - Each year, playgrounds lead to more than 200,000 emergency room visits, while bicycle riding leads to about 80 deaths among children under age 16 and 500,000 emergency room visits.

Well, following some simple precautionary measures will drastically reduce those numbers. We at Girard Nissan, Groton, CT , as the leading dealer in the Newport area, strive constantly for the safety of our children, and we believe that safety is a matter of choice, and if we make up our minds, safety is but a few steps away.

• Children should be trained to look both ways when they are racing to the school bus or while crossing the street.
• If a child drops something near a bus, he or she should alert the bus driver before picking it up, otherwise the child could get out of the driver's view.
• If your child is riding the bus, ensure they are buckled up and they always stay in clear view of the driver.
• Make sure you child knows to wait for the bus to stop before approaching it.
• When traveling by car, children below 13 years of age should stay in the back seat for safety.
• Bike riders should wear proper safety gear, bright colored clothing. They should be aware of hand signals, respect traffic signs, and should know the rules of the road.
• While walking, children need to walk their assiged routes on the sidewalks, not the sides of the road. Be sure you remind them of pedestrian rules.

A small effort from parents and children in training the basic rules of the road will make a lot of difference to those numbers we saw at the beginning of this article. As drivers, let's stay alert and drive carefully through neighborhoods and in school zones, as after all is said and done, our kids are precious to all of us!

Labels: Bus Safety, Nissan Newport CT