After an exceptional summer, most secondary school students are heading back to school this week and the majority of primary schools will return within a few days.
It is a time of preparation for families as everyone gets set for the new school year.
The Donegal Road Safety Working Group is now reminding motorists, cyclists and children to take extra care on our roads as schools return for the new school year.
With all the stress and excitement that preparing for the start of the new school year, one critically important activity is overlooked by parents and that is ensuring their children are safe on their journeys to and from school.
Children are our most vulnerable road-users, so it is up to parents and teachers to ensure we play our part in keeping them safe.
Brian O’Donnell, Road Safety Officer said “As schools reopens across the county, it is important to remember that school days bring more traffic on our roads, buses picking up and leaving off children, children walking and cycling to and from school, hurrying to arrive before the school bell rings and parents driving their children to school before heading to work.
“There will also be large numbers of children attending school for the first time, so everyone should ensure that this is a positive experience for them by slowing down and taking extra care whenever you are travelling near or past a school. It is never more important for drivers to slow down and pay attention than when children are on our roads, especially before and after school.”
He added that nothing excuses or justifies putting the lives of children in danger or the safety of other road users, especially if they are negotiating their journey at a pace that suits, and is safe for them.
He said “Dangerous parking around schools is also contributing to the problem so we are appealing to motorists to help schools by driving with proper care and attention and parking well away from no parking areas around schools. Motorists should first and foremost take responsibility for their own actions”.
“We are also urging parents to ensure their child is visible by wearing a high viz vest when walking or cycling, or when waiting for the school bus. We are also calling on parents to be disciplined and ensure that all children travelling in the vehicle are using proper restraints such as child car seats or seat belts and never overcrowd their car.
“Not only are you risking the life of the unrestrained child but you are also endangering all the other passengers if a collision occurs. We would urge all drivers to be conscious of young road users at all times, but particularly in the mornings and afternoon as they travel to and from school. It is our duty to ensure our vulnerable road users don’t learn lessons the hard way”.
The RSA has a number of road safety resources for teachers and students which aim to promote and encourage road safety at primary and secondary schools. These resources can help make journeys to and from school safer for children but ultimately, all road users have a responsibility to keep the roads safe for each other.
