Back to School Pedestrian Safety

With school just around the corner, the Prince William Education Coordinator Robert Wall wants to ensure that students make it home safely.

Whether students are traveling to and from school, to a friend's house, or just around the corner these safety tips will help them stay safe.

According to Wall, pedestrian injury is the second leading cause of injury-related death among children ages five to 14.

Wall recommends teaching children safe behaviors such as understanding and obeying traffic signals and signs.

Other tips include:

• Walk facing traffic on sidewalks or clear paths so that you can see cars and the cars can see you
• Look left, right and left again before crossing the street.
• Cross when the street is clear, keep looking on both sides while crossing – walk, don't run.

Wall also notes that parents should practice safe behaviors as well. Children under 10 should not be allowed to cross streets alone because they may not understand the actual speed of cars.

Children need to be equipped with a flashlight at times of diminishing light including night, dawn and dusk. Retro reflective material on children's clothing will also add to visibility at night; but children should be reminded that cars can not see them even if they can see the cars.

Finally, use common sense. Don't allow children to play in streets, parking lots, driveways and unfenced yards.

The Prince William County Department of Fire & Rescue is located in the McCoart Administrative Complex.