Carpool line safety is important for the beginning of a new school year. It’s also important to remind yourself of these tips even as the school year progresses. It’s easy to have mishaps in the carpool lane because everybody is rushing and a lot is going on at once. However, your child’s safety is the most important thing. Make sure that you follow signs and directions from the school. Put down your cell phone so that you are not distracted. Prepare your children in advance by teaching them how to safely get out of the car. And finally, be patient. Everybody has the same goal in mind so getting frustrated won’t make the line move faster. If it seems that the line is moving slowly now, hopefully, later in the year everybody will get the hang of it, and drop-off won’t take as long.
Carpool Line Safety for a New School Year: How to Avoid Common Mishaps
Pay Attention to Signs
The first part of carpool line safety is to pay attention to signs. There should be signs posting the correct direction for traffic to flow. You might also have received some information from the school ahead of time. Make sure to read any information the school gives you about pick-up and drop-off procedures so you know what to expect on the first few days of school.
Put Down Your Cell
The next part of carpool line safety requires you to be distraction-free. This means to put down your cell phone! While there shouldn’t be children running wild in the parking lot, you can’t trust kids to always follow directions. You as an adult behind the wheel need to
be prepared for anything, including a child running unexpectedly out in front of your car.
Prepare Your Children
Preparing your children ahead of time can help with carpool line safety. Talk with them about how to safely get in and out of a car, and how to watch for traffic. Make sure they know not to just run in front of the car. You can also practice with older children to help them
unbuckle themselves so they can get out more quickly. Put their car seats on the side of the car that they’ll need to exit from. And it’s a great idea to say your goodbyes before you arrive at the drop-off area so that you can focus on getting them out of the car smoothly and efficiently.
Be Patient
Finally, be patient. Carpool line safety relies on everybody working together. Everybody is frazzled and stressed in the mornings. Every other parent has places they’d rather be. But if everybody can work together as a team, the line will flow more smoothly. Try to be understanding when other cars are moving slowly or when children are reluctant to get out of the car. Sometimes kids have bad days too. The more patience everybody has, the safer the line will be.
Carpool line safety is especially important as kids all over the country are going back for their first days of school. While there are teachers and carpool monitors around, accidents can still happen. It’s important to make sure that you are doing everything you can to make drop-off and pick-up as safe as possible for your children and everybody else’s. Follow the directions and pay attention to signs so that you know where to go. Put down your cell phone or other distractions while in the line. Teach your children about car safety and how to get out of the car smoothly. And finally, be patient with the other drivers and teachers. Everybody is a little frazzled in the first few weeks of school, but if everybody is patient, things will go much more smoothly and safely for all of the children.
