Keeping your kids safe on their way to school

Today's guest bloggers is Michael Wolf, MD, Attending Sports Medicine Physician at the Orthopedic Center for Children at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children.

Backpacks are filled with new school supplies and cool, new lunchboxes have been chosen with care as kids across the region prepare to start a new school year.  While the details of school supplies, backpacks and lunch are often top-of-mind, another important detail for parents to consider is how their child will get to and from school.

Whether your child is walking, riding a bike, taking the bus or carpooling, there are safety precautions to take no matter how your child travels. To minimize potential accidents, parents should keep in mind the following tips to help keep children safe on their daily journey to school.

Pre-walk your child's route to school with them to scout out any potential trouble areas. Consider having "safety spots" along the way, which could be a friend or close neighbor's house where your child could stop in case of inclement weather such as heavy rain or snow. Make sure there are available sidewalks and crosswalks on the route and teach your children to use them whenever possible.

Encourage your child to walk with a buddy and as it gets darker earlier in the fall and winter seasons, have your child wear brightly colored clothing and/or place a reflective strip on their backpack or jacket so they can be seen by drivers. Do not allow children to wear headphones while walking, as this can distract them from their surroundings. Children who walk to school should also wear supportive shoes, such as sneakers, which support the arch of the foot.  Flip flops and sandals and should be avoided.

Regardless of how short or long the ride, all children should wear a helmet while riding a bicycle. Buy a helmet that meets the Consumer Product Safety Commission standards. The helmet should fit snugly, meaning there should be no wiggle room between the head and the helmet and it should not slip down below eye level. The chin strap should be fastened, allowing two fingers to fit between the chin and the strap.

In addition to selecting the right helmet, your child should ride a bike that is appropriate for their size and skill level. Kids should also be aware of the rules of the road while riding a bicycle. Be sure that they know to stop at stop signs, use appropriate hand signals, yield to pedestrians and pay attention to traffic lights.

Your child should only walk around a school bus in areas where he can see the bus driver, so the bus driver can clearly see the child. Getting on and off the bus should be done slowly and carefully.  Never allow children to run around the bus stop. Encourage children to follow bus rules and stay seated the entire ride.

Make sure the driver is aware of any health issues that could potentially affect your child, including allergies. If carpooling, every passenger should always wear a seatbelt and if appropriate for your child's age or size, a proper booster seat. Children younger than 13 years of age should always ride in the back seat of vehicles.

If you'd like more tips on how to keep your kids safe as traveling to and from school, the American Academy of Pediatrics offers great safety guidelines, as well as additional back to school health tips for children.

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