As summer draws to a close, Huntsville ISD will start school next week. The first day of school is on Monday, August 19, 2024! Our teachers and staff are excited to welcome students to campus!
Huntsville ISD warns drivers to be extremely vigilant, especially before and after school hours. Please expect and plan for delays and extra traffic/pedestrian congestion each morning and afternoon especially during the first week of school. Parents should follow directional maps and instructions for when and where the drop off/pick up areas are.
This time of year is particularly dangerous due to the combination of young inexperienced drivers, school buses, and student pedestrians, all sharing the road. Always yield to school buses and watch for children jetting in and out of traffic. Drivers should be extra patient, respectful and safe in all school zones and around our campuses.
To keep school kids safe, Huntsville ISD recommends these seven safety tips:
Slow down. Speed limits in school zones are reduced for a reason. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 25 mph is nearly two-thirds less likely to be killed compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling just 10 mph faster.
Ditch the distractions. Children often cross the road unexpectedly and may emerge suddenly between two parked cars. Research shows that taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles your chances of crashing. Put down the phone and focus on driving safely.
Brake for buses. It may be tempting to drive around a stopped school bus, but not only is it dangerous, it’s against the law, no matter from which direction you’re approaching the stopped bus.
Reverse responsibly. Every vehicle has blind spots. Check for children on the sidewalk, driveway and around your vehicle before slowly backing up. Teach your children to never play in, under or around vehicles—even those that are parked.
Talk with your teen driver. Car crashes are one of the leading causes of death for teens in the United States, and more than one in four fatal crashes involving teen drivers occur during the after-school hours of 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Come to a complete stop. Research shows that more than one-third of drivers roll through stop signs in school zones or neighborhoods. Always come to a complete stop, checking carefully for children on sidewalks and in crosswalks before proceeding.
Be aware of bicycles. Children on bikes are often inexperienced, unsteady and unpredictable. Slow down and allow at least three feet of passing distance between your vehicle and the bicycle. If your child rides a bicycle to school, require that they know proper bicycle-traffic safety rules and wear a properly-fitted bicycle helmet on every ride.
Thank you so much for helping keep our students safe!