Traffic Safety Education for Students

By Mike Spack, PE, PTOE

Hopefully the school has a liaison from the police department who works with your students. They’re best able to command the respect of the students.

Whether its staff or the police officer, the students should be taught the following basics:

• Never assume a car is going to stop for you
• “Stranger Danger” – avoiding adults they don’t know
• Look both ways before stepping into a street
• Never run out between cars
• Cross streets at 90 degree angles at intersections
• Use sidewalks and trails whenever available
• Always wear a helmet when bicycling
• Always wear a seatbelt in a car
• Little kids must always be in a car seat
• How push buttons and pedestrian indications work at a traffic signal
• Details of the school’s specific traffic safety plan

Here are Links to Each of the 7 Components of an Effective School Safety Plan

1. Documenting Existing Transportation Systems at Schools
2. Minimizing Vehicle and Student Interaction – A Look at Loading Zones
3. Minimizing the Impacts of School Traffic
4. Increasing Student Visibility School Zones
5. Slowing Down Traffic in School Zones
6. Controlling Arrivals and Departures at School Zones
7. Traffic Safety Education for Students

Photo Source:  Iowa Department of Education