You are here
Search
Heading Back to School
Back to school was one of the most exciting times for me when I was younger. I was always so excited to see what a new school year would bring and the fun activities that I would get to experience with my classmates. What I would be most excited for was to get back with all of my classmates that I missed all summer long.
Our newest research, “Alarming Dangers in School Zones,” done with support from FedEx, takes a closer look at dangers in school zones that could lead to injuries to students while walking to school. We found that about 80 percent of students observed did not cross the street safely. And some drivers are not being safe either. We observed that 1 in 3 drivers dropping off or picking up students displayed unsafe behaviors, like texting while driving or blocking the crosswalk. The research also includes information about the school zones themselves.
Back to school time was one of my favorite times of the year as a kid. A new teacher, different classmates, a new desk, sometimes a new school. It was like a fresh start.
With all these changes, back to school can be a good time to remind your kids how to walk safely. Whether they’re walking to the bus stop, walking in the parking lot, or walking the entire way to school, all kids are a pedestrian at some point during the school day.
A new school year can often be the beginning of something special – another year for students to learn, grow and imagine all the possibilities (even if our kids don’t always see it that way).
Facts about Pedestrian Safety
Unfortunately, too many kids are not getting to school and back safety. In fact, every day in the U.S. more than 40 kids are hit by a vehicle while walking. That’s more than 15,000 children injured each year.
Safety Reminders as Kids Go “Back to School”
– However They Go Back
As many normal activities have continued to require careful consideration as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, parents are now challenged with “back to school” and what that means for their children and their families.
We know there is a lot to manage during this time, and it can feel like there is very little in your control. But whether your child will be attending school at home, in-person or a combination of the two, we want to help make sure they stay injury-free.
I was prepared. Really, I was. I'd read the new parent booklet and leafed through the (very thick) folder of forms, instructions, and guidelines sent in advance to every new family at the school.
And I was following along at the new parent orientation. They lost me with the details about the two different uniforms (now, even a year later, I can't remember if white socks are a fall/spring thing or a winter thing.)
But I admit, when they hauled out the 5’x7’diagram about carpool traffic flows, my hands started to sweat.
My name is Stephanie Gray. I live in Nashville, Tennessee. On August 7, 2012 I experienced the most devastating event of a parent’s life: the death of my child.
That day, a Tuesday, began with my husband, Aaron, leaving for work while I finished feeding our sweet 5-month-old son, Joel, his morning bottle. That was one of my favorite times of the day. I would lie peacefully in bed with Joel, enjoying the quiet, watching him drink his milk. Soon after, I was rousing my other sleepy boys from their beds so that they could get ready for their first full week of school.
There is nothing that I can remember loving more as a kid than riding my bike with all of my friends. Every ride was an adventure and we would stay out as long as we could.
Now as an adult, I still hop on a bike every opportunity I get – and it’s especially fun to ride with my nephews, Jake, 4, and Nathan, 7, who are actually starting to keep up with me, which is saying something.
Sometimes, positive change comes from bad things.
Nine years ago, Zackery Lystedt was a playing football game with his team at Maple Valley Junior High. Zack went back into the game in the fourth quarter after a hard hit in the third. The game ended, his dad, Victor, ran out onto the field to congratulate Zach for a good play. Zack told his dad that his head hurt. Then, he said, he couldn't see, and then Zack collapsed onto the field.
In a moment my life changed forever.
I went from a highly-motivated and optimistic teenage athlete to an anxious girl plagued with constant headaches struggling just to get through a day.