School Starts, Careful On The Roads

It's back-to-school time for the School District of Hillsborough County, which means roads will be more heavily traveled during the morning and early- to-late afternoon rush hours.

Keep this in mind as you navigate to work today, Aug. 20, the first day of school for the nation's eighth-largest school district.

You know the drill, there are roads and times of the morning and afternoon to avoid as parents and student-drivers head their ways to schools in the Bloomingdale-Riverview area and beyond.

What tips do you suggest as the school year gets under way? Let us know in the comment box below.

To get started, here's a list of 10 tips offered by Waste Management, which each year "retrains employees about maintaining a safe environment for students traveling to and from school," according to a company news release.

“School buses and garbage trucks both can slow traffic and are at risk of accidents if drivers are distracted,” said Dawn McCormick, Community Affairs Manager for Waste Management.  “Safety is our top priority and we urge drivers to be extra careful.”

Toward that end, these 10 tips are shared: 

• Children are most in danger of being hit in the area 10 feet around a school bus. Stop with enough room for children to safely enter and exit.

• Florida has laws making it illegal to pass a school bus that is loading and unloading students.  Traffic in both directions must also stop on undivided roadways.

• It takes 2.2 seconds for the average adult to react to unexpected events. Cover your brake when you see children. 

• A child’s field of vision is not fully developed so they may not be able to tell how close you are or they may not see you.

• When backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage, watch for children walking or biking to school.

• There are more bikes on the roads in the early morning and afternoon hours as children ride to and from school.

• Inexperienced teenage drivers can often be distracted by friends, phones and music so be alert around high school parking lots.

• All passengers should wear a seat belt or an age- and size-appropriate car safety seat or booster seat.

• Do not text or talk on your cell phone while driving.

• Watch for school zones and slow down and obey all traffic laws and speed limits.