Dogorasun/Getty ImagesWhen summer vacation comes to an end and the young folks of your community start returning to school for the semester, you'll need to start being more cognizant of how you drive in your neighborhood and town than usual. Back-to-school season means more stopped school buses, crossing pedestrians, and children milling about in school zones. These are all things you need to keep in mind to make sure no one gets hurt.According to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, roughly 100 people around the country die in school transportation-related crashes each year. It's very easy to forget how delicate school zone safety can be with how much we handle it every day, and a single lapse in caution can lead to unprecedented tragedy. To ensure you and your vehicle aren't on any side of that equation, you should keep these school zone driving safety tips in mind when school is back in session.Read more: Flock Cameras Capture A Whole Lot More Than Your License Plate NumberBe extra careful at crosswalksPhotodisc/Getty ImagesIf a school is in or close to a residential area, odds are good that there will be one or more crosswalks nearby that students need to cross as they go to and from class every day. It's always good to be mindful of pedestrians in general at crosswalks, but when dealing with crosswalks before and after school, there are some additional considerations you should keep in mind.AdvertisementAdvertisementFirstly, when stopping your vehicle at a crosswalk under a red light or stop sign, make sure to stop in front of the crosswalk rather than on top of it. If you're on top of it, you may force students to walk around your car, which could cause them to walk into oncoming traffic. Second, if a crosswalk has pedestrian flashers present and they're currently flashing, you must come to a complete stop and let everyone crossing pass completely. Finally, if there's a crossing guard present, their word is law, and should be heeded as such. If their stop sign is held up, you stop, and you stay stopped until it comes down. Even if you don't see any children or other pedestrians coming, it doesn't matter; you don't move until the guard says so.Refrain from hostile, unusual, or sudden maneuversKrblokhin/Getty ImagesWe all get it: having to pass a school zone in order to get to work in the morning is annoying. It's slow, it's congested, and it's frustrating. Unfortunately, this is one of those annoyances that you just have to learn to live with, because losing your temper and making hostile maneuvers in a school zone can have disastrous consequences.Generally speaking, you should try to drive in as simple and uniform a manner as possible when driving in a school zone. This means refraining from any unusual or sudden maneuvers like abrupt stops, sudden U-turns, and K-turns. If you've missed a turn in a school zone, you should drive all the way through, then turn around where it's safe. AdvertisementAdvertisementSudden maneuvers can scare and startle pedestrians, causing them to move or run unexpectedly and into danger. This warning goes double for overtly hostile actions like honking your horn or revving your engine to scare pedestrians into moving faster. If things are moving slowly, it's probably for a good reason, so either be patient, or leave for work earlier in the morning.Pay attention to signs and speed limitsKrblokhin/Getty ImagesWherever and whenever you're driving, heeding road signs and their meanings is always a good way to keep things safe out on the commute. Naturally, this applies to school zones as well. If you're ever uncertain about the best driving practices while in a school zone, the signs will help to guide you.First and foremost, you should always be mindful of speed limits in school zones. Obviously, following posted speed limits is the best way to ensure everyone's safety, not to mention avoid getting a ticket. In school zones, specifically, you may need to be mindful of different limits based on the time of day. A speed limit sign in a school zone may have a secondary sign next to it displaying reduced speed limits in the morning and afternoon, right before school starts for the day and right after it gets out. A school zone speed limit sign may also warn through its flashers that the the speed limit is lower than usual, so watch for the orange light. Even if there is no schedule sign or flashers, it's a good idea to drive at least 5 MPH slower than you normally would in that area. You never know when someone's going to be late to class and miss the slow period, after all.Never pass a stopped school busXphotoz/Getty ImagesIn and near a school zone, you can always see the distinctive yellow shade of a school bus, picking up students or dropping them off. The rules of the road are especially stringent when it comes to dealing with school buses, so it's generally good to give them a wide berth and let them do whatever they need to do.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe vital rule when it comes to school buses is that under no circumstances are you permitted to pass a bus that is currently stopped to load or unload children. In fact, doing so is a full-on crime in all 50 U.S. states. If a school bus has its flashers on and its stop arm extended, all traffic from both sides must come to a complete and total stop, and remain stopped until the arm is retracted and the lights are shut off. Even if you're heeding the signals, stopping too close to a bus can cause difficulty for the driver and students coming and going. Try to give a stopped school bus at least 10 feet of clearance so everyone has room to move. Most importantly, make sure to stay alert and don't try to rush anyone. Kids don't always have the best sense of self-preservation and may walk in risky ways. Let the whole loading and unloading process finish completely before you try to drive or turn, just in case.Be mindful of kids on bikesWavebreakmedia/Getty ImagesSchool zones aren't only home to school buses or parents dropping kids off from their cars. Depending on where the school is located, some students may opt to bike to school instead, or use similar personal vehicles like skateboards, scooters, hoverboards, and so on. This creates another layer of potential danger in a school zone that you need to be aware of, as bicyclists are beholden to their own rules and safety recommendations.If you're driving in a school zone and there are students on bikes riding by, try to always give the student the right of way, even if they're not on a crosswalk. This means, for example, letting them pass before making a turn in either direction, being sure to use your turn signals in the process. If there are residential homes in or near the school zone, watch for bicyclists coming out of garages or behind parked cars, as they can surprise you. AdvertisementAdvertisementKids may not always ride responsibly, so try to give bicyclists a wide berth in case they make any sudden turns without signaling themselves. Finally, if you need to open your car door in a school zone, such as to drop off your own kids, check your side-view mirror beforehand so you don't accidentally open a door in a bicyclist's path.Want the latest in tech and auto trends? Subscribe to our free newsletter for the latest headlines, expert guides, and how-to tips, one email at a time. You can also add us as a preferred search source on Google.Read the original article on SlashGear.
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