MDX and Miami-Dade County Public Schools Offer Top Five Back-to-School Safety Tips for Drivers

MIAMI, Aug. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) has partnered with Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) to offer drivers important tips to keep the community safe as South Florida's students head back to school next week. MDX and MDCPS remind you to always obey posted speed limits and road signs in and around school zones.

"MDX and Miami-Dade County Public Schools have teamed up to make sure that we educate the community about how to safely navigate through school zones as our kids head back to school next week," said MDX Executive Director Javier Rodriguez, P.E. "Whether children walk, ride their bicycles or take a bus to school, it is important that they, and the drivers around them, take the necessary precautions to stay safe."

"Driving safety and pedestrian awareness are important all year long, but especially when students are in school," said Superintendent of Schools Alberto M. Carvalho. "Next week more than 340,000 students will return to schools and classrooms across the district making school zone safety a priority in Miami-Dade. We want to heighten the awareness of drivers to ensure they observe all traffic laws, especially in school zones. It's important that our children arrive to school and home safely every day."     

TOP FIVE BACK-TO-SCHOOL SAFETY TIPS FOR DRIVERS

1. Do not pass a school bus. It is illegal to pass a school bus that has stopped to load or unload children.
2. Watch for flashing lights on school buses. Flashing yellow lights on school buses are used to alert motorists that the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Red flashing lights and an extended stop sign signal arm extending from the bus are used to alert drivers that the school bus has stopped on the roadway and children are getting on or off.
3. Stay alert near school buses. Pay special attention to the area 10 feet around a school bus. This is where children are most in danger of getting hit. Stop your car far enough away from the bus to allow children the necessary amount of space to safely enter and exit a school bus.
4. Do not block the crosswalk. When stopped at a red light or waiting to make a turn do not block the crosswalk, especially with a portion of your vehicle over it. Blocking the crosswalk forces pedestrians, including children entering and exiting a school bus, to go around your vehicle and puts them in a potentially dangerous situation.
5. Obey school safety personnel. When traveling in a school zone, always obey directions from a crossing guard or other designated personnel including police and school patrol officers.

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SOURCE MDX