Red Cross Shares Back-to-School Safety Tips for Northern Colorado Families

Organization encourages safe travel, emergency preparedness, and driver awareness as students return to classrooms

By North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com

LOVELAND, Colo. — As students across Northern Colorado head back to school, the American Red Cross of Northern Colorado is reminding families, students, and drivers that a few simple safety habits can help prevent injuries and keep children safe throughout the school year.

The organization is encouraging parents to review important safety practices with children before the first day of school. Those include teaching younger students their home address, phone number, how to contact a trusted adult, and when to call 911 in an emergency.

For children walking to school, the Red Cross recommends using sidewalks whenever possible, crossing only at designated crosswalks, and looking left, right, and left again before stepping into the street. Students should avoid crossing between parked vehicles where they may not be visible to drivers.

Children riding the school bus should arrive early, wait a safe distance from the curb, and board only after the bus has come to a complete stop. The Red Cross also reminds students never to walk behind a school bus, where drivers may have limited visibility.

Families are encouraged to ensure children who bike to school wear properly fitted helmets and follow traffic laws. Drivers transporting students should make sure every passenger wears a seat belt, while younger children remain in the appropriate car seat or booster seat until seat belts fit properly. Teen drivers are urged to eliminate distractions such as texting, eating, or using a phone while driving.

The Red Cross also recommends downloading its free First Aid and Emergency apps, which provide emergency guidance and severe weather alerts. Additional training opportunities include Babysitting and Child Care courses for youth ages 11 and older, Online training for Anaphylaxis and the use of Epinephrine Auto-Injectors is available. Anaphylaxis and Epinephrine Auto-Injectors.for teachers and school staff.

With school buses returning to neighborhood streets, the organization is also reminding motorists to slow down and obey all school bus signals.

Yellow flashing lights indicate a bus is preparing to stop, and drivers should slow down and be ready to stop. Red flashing lights and an extended stop arm mean children are boarding or exiting, and motorists must stop until the lights stop flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and children have safely reached the sidewalk or roadside. Colorado law requires drivers traveling behind or toward a stopped school bus to stop unless a physical barrier separates opposing traffic.

“As another school year begins, everyone has a role to play in keeping students safe,” the Red Cross said, encouraging families to make safety conversations part of their back-to-school routine.

Source: American Red Cross of Northern Colorado