Report all crashes involving students to the IPD at 838-1214, even if there are no injuries.

• Bicycle Safety Tips
• Pedestrian Safety Tips
• Driver Safety Tips

Bicycle Safety Tips

• Be predictable. Follow the same rules of the road as automobiles. Avoid crashes and traffic tickets by obeying ALL stop signs, traffic signals, and other traffic laws. Unless you are walking your bike, you are not a pedestrian.
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  Ride on the right, moving in the same direction as traffic. Wrong way riding is extremely dangerous. If there is no bike lane, ride as far to the right as practicable. Stay visible to traffic by not weaving in and out of parked cars.
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  Wear your helmet and buckle it every time - it's the law. To best protect your brain, your helmet must fit properly - snug and level on your head, just above your eyebrows.
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  Make eye contact with drivers - especially at intersections and driveways. Don't assume that drivers see you! Watch for right-turning cars by checking over your left shoulder.
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  Be alert and visible. Watch out for doors being opened from parked cars, cars turning left or right, and cars coming out of driveways. Avoid riding on sidewalks -- you are most visible in the roadway with other vehicles.
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  You always have the option of becoming a pedestrian. Consider this if the intersection is especially crowded. Move out of the stream of traffic, get off your bike and walk it in the pedestrian crosswalk.
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  Obey instructions of crossing guards.
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  Do NOT carry things in your hands. You should secure anything you need to carry on your bike rack or basket. Keep your backpack snug, not dangling low on your back.

Pedestrian Safety Tips

• Be alert. Everything else on the road is bigger and moving faster than you are - from skateboards to bicycles to cars.
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  Don't assume drivers see you! Make eye contact - especially at intersections and driveways.
  Obey crossing guards or the safety patrol. They are there to help you cross congested intersections safely.
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  Be predictable. Do not jump off the curb for a fast start or make other sudden moves that place you in the path of oncoming vehicle traffic. Wait your turn at traffic signals.
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  Cross at corners. Although you generally have the right of way at intersections, use caution and look both ways. Crossing mid-block is risky as well as being illegal near traffic signals. If you cross between intersections or outside of designated crosswalks, you must yield to motorists.
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  When the red flashing hand appears, DO NOT start to cross a signalized intersection. Wait for the next light cycle and walk when the white walk signal appears. If you are in the intersection when the red hand starts flashing, continue walking to the other side.

Driver Safety Tips

• Observe the 25 mph speed limit in school zones at all times.
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  Obey "No Right Turn on Red" signs where posted at school intersections. This allows children to cross safely without cars turning through the crosswalk.
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  Be aware of school commute routes. Children walking or biking to school help reduce traffic congestion - give them a brake and use extra caution. Young children may not be able to judge speed or distance of vehicles moving toward them, and they think cars can stop instantly.
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  Set a good safety example:
  · Follow instructions of crossing guards.
  · Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.
  · Don't double park in bike lanes, and don't block red curbs.
  · Avoid making U-turns and other unsafe maneuvers.
  · Always make sure that you and your passengers are buckled up properly.
  · Use booster seats to make adult seat belts safer for children younger than 8 years old or under 4'9" tall.
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  Try to carpool whenever possible to help reduce the congestion around schools.
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  Don't rush - leave home a few minutes earlier instead.