Class is in session: Back to school safety tips

For many students across Kansas, the start of the school year is approaching. Motorists are encouraged to remember that students will soon be walking or biking to and from school, as well as entering or exiting buses and vehicles. Give yourself extra travel time and pay attention to help improve safety for everyone.

According to the National Safety Council, more children are hit by cars near schools than any other location. If you are dropping your child off at school, make sure you understand your school’s drop off and pick-up procedure.

When sharing the road with young pedestrians, it is important to keep the following in mind:

• No matter where the pedestrians may be, always use extreme caution. Young students may not understand all the traffic laws and it’s up to motorists to avoid hitting them.
• If a vehicle is stopped for pedestrians, don’t pass.
• Use your eyes, and look out for children who may be playing in playgrounds, parks and residential areas.
• When flashers are blinking in a school zone, stop and yield to pedestrians crossing the intersection or crosswalk.
• Don’t block crosswalks when stopped at a red light or preparing to turn. Forcing pedestrians to go around you is dangerous and puts them in the path of oncoming traffic.

Bicycling is one of the most popular ways that children travel to school. On certain roads, most bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as vehicles. Unfortunately, children riding bikes can be unpredictable and young bicyclists may not understand all the laws surrounding traffic safety. 

Because bikes are smaller than a normal vehicle, the following should be considered:

• When passing a bicyclist, do so slowly and leave about 3 feet between the bicyclist and your vehicle.
• Wait for riders coming from the opposite direction to pass before you turn left.
• If you are turning right and a bicyclist is behind you, it better to let the bicyclist go through the intersection first before you finish making your turn.
• Always use your blinkers to communicate with all forms of vehicles, especially bicyclists.
• Young bikers can turn in front of cars with little to no warning and they may not be paying attention. Always stay alert.
• When traveling in school zones, expect the unexpected. Check for bikes coming from behind parked cars and drive ways.

Some children rely on the school bus for transportation. If you find yourself behind a school bus, allow for greater distance between yourself and the larger vehicle. Doing so will give you more time to stop.

It is illegal in all 50 states to pass a school bus that is stopped and waiting for children to board or depart the vehicle. With that in mind, there are more things to remember when sharing the road with a school bus:

• Stop far enough away from a school bus to allow the children to enter or depart safely. A 10-foot area around the bus can be the most dangerous for children.
• If the yellow or red lights are flashing and stop arm is extending traffic MUST stop.
• Be alert! Children can be unpredictable.

Parents or guardians of children should try to teach students ways they can improve safety during the school year and any time they need to interact with vehicles.

We wish all students who are starting their new school year the best of luck! And remember to always look left, then right and left again before crossing the street.

Pedal power

Today is National Bike to School day and students across the country are using pedal power to make it to classes this morning.  Biking to and from locations is a great way to exercise, save on fuel and it can be a lot of fun! But before you hop right back on that bike seat there are a few things that you may not know when it comes to riding your bike safely and legally. 

Before you read any further, we challenge you to check your bicycle riding knowledge with KDOT’s “How Well Do You Know How to Ride?” quiz.

Let’s address just a few of those questions with some bicycle safety tips:

Wear a properly fitted helmet: This isn’t your ordinary fashion accessory. This is the most effective way to prevent a serious head injury in the event of a bicycle crash.  According to Safekids.org there are a few ways you can check to ensure your helmet fits properly.

EYES check: Position the helmet on your head. Look up and you should see the bottom rim of the helmet. The rim should be one to two finger-widths above the eyebrows.

EARS check: Make sure the straps of the helmet form a "V" under your ears when buckled. The strap should be snug but comfortable.

MOUTH check: Open your mouth as wide as you can. Do you feel the helmet hug your head? If not, tighten those straps and make sure the buckle is flat against your skin.

Be safe. Be seen. Wear bright colors:  Regardless of the time of day, it is important to wear bright colors and reflectors so that you can be easily seen easier by motorists. According to Kansas Law, if you are biking at night you should use a headlight on the front of your bike and a red reflector on the rear of your bike. A rear red light emitting a red light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet may also be used.

Ride WITH traffic, not against it: This one is actually confusing to a lot of people. An easy way to remember this tip is remember the two Ws. If you are using WHEELS you ride WITH traffic.

Use Hand signals and obey all traffic signs.

Young children should have supervision when riding: Make it a family event, and ride alongside the children. Safekids.org suggests limiting children under 10 years old to
sidewalks. Regardless of their age make sure they are safe and understand the importance of staying alert. Help them to look out for cars and other vehicles. Check out or 10 Simple steps for Bicycle Safety Chart for more information:

 

For more information about bicycle statutes in Kansas check this webpage:
https://www.ksdot.org/bureaus/burRail/bike/BicycleStatutes.asp

And check out these links for more bicycle safety tips:

https://www.safekids.org/tip/bike-safety-tips

https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/bicyclists

Couldn't stop in time

By Mallory Goeke 

“Mom, I was hit by a car!”

I will always remember June 4, 1999. I was 11 and riding my bike was my ticket to freedom. My hometown of Cimarron was small enough that I could bike wherever I wanted as long as I was home by dark.

I had been cruising down a large street on my way home from the pool. For a hyper kid like me, coasting downhill at top speed made me feel invincible. I made the decision to skip my normal route home in lieu of continuing my exhilarating ride. As I reached the bottom of the hill, I turned quickly into an empty parking lot, performed a few fun tricks and figure 8’s, then I zipped out to go up the large hill again.

I wasn’t invincible.

The next scene plays out in slow motion: I saw the red car headed for me, but it was too late. I froze. I had been going so fast out of the parking lot that I couldn’t stop in time. Neither could the driver behind the wheel.

I felt the sickening crunch of the fender hitting my bike tire which sent me flying into the air and onto the windshield. I can still see the terrified expressions of the boys who hit me. I wonder if they still remember mine?

I remember rolling off the windshield and landing on my knees. I was in shock. My face hurt and I remember feeling that my two front teeth had been chipped right down the center. My knees were scrapped up and I was shaking like an earthquake. I had just been hit by a car. How did that happen?

I can’t completely blame the driver who hit me, nor can I completely place all the blame on myself. The fact of the matter is anyone who is riding a bike should be doubly aware of their surroundings before zipping out of parking lots, driveways or intersecting streets.

At the same time, drivers need to constantly be on the lookout for bikers and pedestrians, especially children who dart out into the streets without looking. It can happen in an instant and lives can be forever changed or ended due to carelessness and distracted driving. Just because you are seen, doesn’t mean there is enough time to get out of the way or stop.

I was so lucky. I walked away with a scraped knee, a chipped tooth and a fear of driving in traffic that has stayed with me ever since that day, but I was alive. Not everyone lives to tell their story.

Mallory Goeke is a Communication Specialist in KDOT’s Office of Public Affairs

Creative campaign encourages pedestrian/bike health, safety

Over the summer, Lawrence-Douglas Health Department  adopted a new and creative ad campaign to encourage healthy exercise and safety. Jenalea Myers, an employee at the LDC Health Department, describes the development of this ad campaign.

"Earlier this year, Community Health staff  at the Health Department came across the Travel with Care campaign, which is an initiative of People for Bikes," Myers said.

The Travel with Care campaign helped the LDC Health Department outline how the ads would look and they gave them suggestions on who should be featured and the messages the ads should send.

Myers said The Travel with Care campaign in Lawrence also coincides with the city's Be Active Safe Routes initiative.

"We decided it would be a great campaign to adopt locally because of the work being done around our Be Active Safe Routes initiative. We liked that the campaign not only encouraged pedestrian-bicycle safety but that it also highlighted everyday people who are cyclists, making it relatable and hopefully increasing the number of local residents cycling."

Pre-production of this campaign began earlier this spring with a local search for bikers to photograph. From there it only took two months for the ads to begin running in a variety of media.

"In April, we selected the local residents to be featured and hired a photographer to capture images of them with their bikes," Myers said. "From there, we created the ads based on template provided by People for Bikes. We began doing advertising in June, which has included print ads in the Lawrence Journal-World, Lawrence Magazine and Lawrence Kids Magazine and digital ads on the Journal-World’s website. We’re now in the process of placing ads on the University of Kansas buses. We also had posters printed that have been distributed around Lawrence in highly visible public places.

According to Myers, The Travel with Care Campaign has proven to be a success.

"The feedback has been great so far!" Myers said. "We’ve heard from many people who have seen the ads either in the newspaper, in a public place or on our social media pages. It’s been so great that we’ve considered doing an additional photo shoot in the near future to include some more cyclists!"

For more information about People with Bikes click here.
Want to learn more about what the City of Lawrence is doing to encourage safe bike routes? Click here