 September 2022
Hello, Safe Routes to School friends,
We're getting the word out again this year that "School routes are everywhere, so drive like it!" That means slowing down, staying alert, and generally driving with extra caution in and around schools and neighborhoods bordering them.
Like last year, we've partnered with Metro and the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School programs in a statewide campaign called “Drive Like It.” The key messages, which people may see on lawn signs, transit buses and social media, are intended to keep us all safer on the road.
Tips for safety
Drivers should take care in their own neighborhoods, by bus stops and in school zones and keep an eye out for children and families walking and rolling to and from school. Slowing down and avoiding distractions – cell phones, loud music, even conversations – will help you react more quickly. That’s especially important because children are going back to school while the days are slowly getting shorter and darker.
Keep in mind that children aren’t the best at gauging distance and speed or knowing when it’s safe to cross a street. They may dart into the street to catch a bus without checking for traffic.
Here are some things drivers can do to make sure students are safe as they head back to classrooms:
In school zones and around the neighborhood
- Slow down – A safe speed may be below the posted speed.
- Drive for conditions – Slower speeds help people driving to see more around them, especially in low light conditions.
- Take care backing up – Remember children may be walking to their bus stop or biking to school.
- Obey traffic rules – They’re there to keep us all safe. That means no U-turns, double parking, stopping in crosswalks or turning on red where not allowed.
- Yield to pedestrians – At crosswalks, intersections or in the middle of the street, yield the way.
- Watch for school buses –
- Drive with caution and prepare to stop for a school bus when its overhead lights flash yellow.
- Stop when a school bus’s overhead lights are flashing red, no matter which way you’re traveling. Only proceed once the bus starts moving again and the red lights stop flashing.
At school
- Obey drop-off and pick-up rules – Park, load and stop only in designated areas. Heed crossing guards.
- Curb it – Pull to the curb instead of making children cross the street.
- Be on the lookout – Watch for children, other vehicles and buses.
There’s one more thing drivers should always do: plan ahead. Use alternate routes if possible and give yourself extra time if you plan to drive near a school when students are being picked up or dropped off.
To help spread the word, see the digital toolkit.
For information about how to plan a walk and roll to school event, see the website.
Thank you for your support of Safe Routes to School!
- The ODOT SRTS team
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