As the 2023-2024 school year quickly approaches, it’s important to remember to watch out for children walking to and from school. Even if they are running to school in their sparkly light-up tennis shoes or making their way home with a violin on their back, school-aged children are smaller than the cars we drive today. Combine this with the fact that “young children often do not have the cognitive, perceptual, and behavioral abilities to negotiate traffic independently,” and a recipe for disaster is formed.

To help combat the issue, we partnered with the Lincoln and Lancaster County Health Department in Lincoln, Nebraska. Their program, Safe Kids of Lincoln-Lancaster County, teaches children tips about how to be safe around large moving vehicles to make “a safer, more pedestrian/bike friendly community for all.”

Our team in Lincoln brought two trucks to a Safe Kids event hosted at a local elementary school and discussed topics like staying out of blind spots, looking both ways before you cross, and general safety tips around vehicles. Everyone in attendance learned valuable information about how to stay safe and gained new perspectives on potential dangers that come with being a pedestrian.

As we inform our kids about safety, it’s important to remember that we must also do our part. Don’t drive distracted, watch your blind spots and be extra careful in school zones.

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