Summer vacation is over and children are back to school. Sergeant John Maxwell with the Goleta Traffic Safety Unit offers the following tips for parents and children to help keep everyone safe throughout the year:

• When walking to school, walk on the sidewalk if one is available. If there is no sidewalk, walk as far to the edge of the road as possible, facing the traffic.
• We all learned as kids to “look both ways before crossing the street”. This remains important advice, for both children and adults. When crossing, make eye contact with drivers and always cross the street at intersections or in crosswalks.
• If riding a bike to school, teach children the rules of the road. Ride single file on the right side of the road, with the flow of traffic. Stop at all stop signs, walk bikes across the street and always, ALWAYS, wear a properly fitted helmet.
• When driving your child to school, stay alert and never drive while distracted. Always obey school zone speed limits and watch for children crossing the street. Remember, the area 10 feet around a school bus is most dangerous for children. NEVER pass a bus loading or unloading children. It is also important to learn and follow your school’s drop-off and pick-up procedures.
• Washing your car can be an easily overlooked task, but driving toward the morning sun with a dirty windshield can be blinding. To make certain you can see children walking and riding to school, make sure your windshield is clean, especially during morning school drop-off hours.

The Goleta Police Department looks forward to working with parents, students, school staff, and the community, so our children can have a happy and safe school year!