There is a lot of excitement around our house - school starts this week! The start of a new school year is always a time of excitement and anticipation, but is also it a time to review and remember a few aspects of safety, particularly for our youngsters. Unfortunately, at our law firm we have seen too many times when an accident, injury, or some other harm dampens the year before it really gets started.
The first thing that we will all notice is that traffic in general is heavier. That means we need to remind ourselves to be sure to stay alert and practice paying attention to our best driving skills. Additionally, it is a good time to remind ourselves to be courteous and respectful to other drivers. Good Manners go a long way toward being safe!
Next, let’s all help to look out for our youngsters. Please pay particular attention during the early morning hours. Schools start early and many children will be out waiting for the buses in the dark. Some of them need a constant watchful eye, while others simply need help just learning where to stand for the school bus. In either case, they need our help and our support.
Try something with me this week - at least one time offer some of our young people a kind word of support and encouragement. Especially the kids in our own neighborhoods need to know we care and that the they have a network of support. It makes a difference and will make their day just a little bit better (and your’s too!).
Lastly, all those yellow school buses. Yes, they at times seem to slow us down....don’t they know we are in a hurry! But, we will all get where we are going so please be patient. Every year we hear about injuries from incidents with school buses. They are big, yellow, and have flashers for a reason. Please use extreme caution around the buses. North Carolina has a very a very good resource guide (click here: http://www.ncbussafety.org/) for parents, teachers and students that focuses on these sorts of safety issues.
Let’s make this a great school year!