CHP Reminder: August Is Back-to-School Safety Month

As students across the mountain communities prepare to head back to class, the California Highway Patrol is reminding drivers that August is Back-to-School Safety Month—a time when extra caution behind the wheel can help prevent tragedies.

Beginning this week, school buses, crossing guards, student pedestrians and bicyclists will once again become a common sight throughout Eastern Madera County. With schools such as Yosemite High School, Coarsegold Elementary, Rivergold Elementary, Wasuma Elementary, Oak Creek Intermediate, North Fork School, Bass Lake School and other campuses returning to session over the coming days, CHP officials are asking motorists to slow down and stay alert in and around school zones.

While children are taught to look both ways before crossing the street, drivers carry an equally important responsibility. Young students can be unpredictable, sometimes stepping into the roadway unexpectedly, crossing between parked vehicles or rushing to catch a school bus.

The CHP encourages motorists to:

• Slow down and obey posted school zone speed limits.
• Eliminate distractions such as texting or using a handheld phone while driving.
• Watch carefully for children walking or riding bicycles near schools and neighborhoods.
• Be prepared to stop for crossing guards and pedestrians in marked crosswalks.
• Never pass a stopped school bus displaying flashing red lights and its extended stop arm unless specifically permitted by law.
• Leave extra time for morning and afternoon commutes, when traffic around schools is typically heaviest.

Parents also play an important role in keeping students safe. The CHP recommends teaching children to use designated crosswalks whenever possible, make eye contact with drivers before crossing, avoid distractions such as phones or headphones near traffic, and wear bright or reflective clothing when walking during low-light conditions. Parents who drive their children to school should also follow each school’s established drop-off and pick-up procedures to reduce congestion and improve safety for everyone.

The reminder comes as many California communities experience increased traffic during the first weeks of school, when motorists are adjusting to new bus routes, heavier pedestrian activity and changing traffic patterns. Traffic safety experts note that the beginning of the school year is one of the most important times for drivers to be especially vigilant around neighborhoods and school campuses.

For residents of the mountain communities, that means paying particular attention not only in school zones, but also along highways and rural roads where students may be waiting at bus stops with little separation from passing traffic.

A few extra seconds of patience—whether stopping for a school bus, yielding at a crosswalk or simply slowing down through a school zone—can make all the difference in ensuring every student arrives safely at school and back home again.

For additional traffic safety information, visit the California Office of Traffic Safety’s Go Safely California program or the California Highway Patrol’s traffic safety resources.