Summer vacation will be over for students in the Washoe County School district. The first day of school is on Monday, and the roads will be busier than usual with parents picking up and dropping off their kids.
According to the Nevada Department of Transportation, there were about 80 pedestrian deaths and eight bicyclist deaths on Nevada roads last year.
Ryan Ramsdell, REMSA's EMS Supervisor said "Any time there's more people on the road, there is the potential for pedestrians to be injured while they're walking."
In order to avoid accidents, officials want to make sure people are following traffic laws and are practicing safe habits, especially when school starts.
Ramsdell said, "All the kids are super excited to go back to school. Some of them are starting at new schools, and so they're going to be running in and out of cars, running on the roads. So it's really important that everybody pays attention while they're driving through those areas where there's lots of kids, especially on the first day of school."
Danielle Leeder, a parent and preschool teacher said, "Kids are so predictable at being unpredictable and so if there's kids anywhere in the vicinity you just have to watch for them and wait for them to dart out, because they're going to. They're bound to just run out in the middle of the street at any given moment."
Officials say drivers should be aware of all of the crosswalks and new school zones in their area. People should also know and obey traffic laws. For example, there's no passing in a school zone, and it is also illegal to make U-turns in a school zone. Driver should also drive at posted speed limits.
It is also important for drivers to limit distractions. Officials say never text and drive, and don't drive while talking on the phone. This is also important for people who are walking or biking. Officials recommend people don't walk with headphones on and they say it's important for people to be aware of their surroundings.
Ramsdell said, "Don't text when you're walking, and try to pay attention to traffic. When you do cross the street, you want to look to the left, look to the right, then look back to the left because that's where cars are going to come from first, is from your left hand side."
Bright or reflective clothing or backpacks are also recommended, to enhance a child's visibility and safety.
See original story for more tips https://www.ktvn.com/story/40891258/back-to-school-walking-and-bicycling-tips
