Back-to-School Safety Tips

Back to school season is an exciting time: new grades, new schedules, new extracurricular activities and shiny new shoes. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle. But before your days fill up with drop-offs, helping with homework and stocking up on supplies, take a minute to review your family’s approach to student safety.

Tips for Student Safety

School transportation safety and school safety tips should be on everyone’s back-to-school to-do list. Whether it’s the first year of kindergarten or the final year of college, this school safety checklist will help you and your children be safe and healthy.

Back-to-School Safety Tips for Families With Young Kids

Whether children walk, ride their bicycle or take the bus to school, it is important that they know how to get there safely and protect themselves. 

Before the school year begins and things get busy, practice walking and biking to school together. Continue to remind them of the rules of the road, helping them learn the route and spot places where they need to be extra careful. 

If your child is a bus rider, accompany them to the school bus stop and show them how to safely get on and off the bus, reminding them to always stay at least six steps away from the curb. 

For carpoolers or parents who drop their kids off at school, set an example by obeying school zone speed limits and following your school’s drop-off procedures. Additionally, make sure you’re protected in case of an accident — having the right auto insurance coverage in place can help in the case of a drop-off line fender-bender.

Back-to-School Safety Tips for High Schoolers

Is your teenager driving to school? They probably love the independence, and your morning is freer, too. But young and inexperienced drivers should be reminded to slow down, buckle their seat belt and avoid distractions behind the wheel. 

Luckily, there are safe driving programs available to help. They both teach your young people how to drive safely and reward those who make the road safer for everyone.

If you have a young driver, consider enrolling them in the Young Driver Safety Program, designed to reinforce safe driving habits and give students the chance to build skills and confidence behind the wheel. Enrolling in the program could help you save money on your premiums, too: Your child could qualify for the Safe Young Driver discount upon program completion. It’s a smart choice for everyone.

Avoiding distractions is important for everyone, but it’s an especially key lesson for younger drivers, who have less experience on the road. From phone calls and text messages to friends in the back seat, distractions are everywhere. Encourage your teen to be mindful behind the wheel. 

Here’s an incentive: Down the road, your student may earn a discount on insurance premiums for their safe driving habits.

Back-to-School Safety Tips for College Students

Even when your students have become young adults, you still want to protect them. Whether your student is commuting to campus or living in a dorm, your insurance agent can answer questions about coverage for your college student. Even if they aren’t living under your roof, your homeowner’s policy may still protect the property in their dorm rooms from theft or damage. 

• If your child is living off-campus, you can encourage them to purchase renters insurance, an affordable way to protect their belongings (even on a college student’s budget).
• If your student is on your auto policy, talk to your agent to be sure your coverage meets your changing needs. 
• If your student won’t be taking a vehicle to school and is only driving when they are home during breaks, you may be able to save on auto insurance — talk to your agent about your options. 
• If the student has a car at a school that’s located elsewhere, contact your agent: They will want to note where the school is located. 
• Talk to your student if they’re planning on lending their car out while away at school — there may be special coverage considerations to think about.

Back-to-School Safety Tips for Drivers Without Kids

School days bring increased activity in many ways: School buses picking up their passengers, kids on bikes hurrying to school before the bell rings, hurried parents dropping their kids off before work and more. It's imperative for drivers to slow down, pay attention and be prepared to stop, especially when kids are present — mainly before and after school hours.

Even if you don’t have any kids in school, it’s crucial to practice safe driving techniques, especially in school zones and around buses. 

• The area ten feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children. If you’re driving near a bus, stop far enough back to allow them to safely enter and exit the bus, and never pass a bus while it is stopped to load and unload children. 
• Be extra careful when driving through school zones, near bus stops and at intersections with crossing guards. Remember: Violating road rules in school zones often carries higher fines, too.
• If you live or work near a school zone, be on the lookout for kids crossing the street outside of marked crosswalks, as well as parents dropping their kids off.

Finally, make sure you’re protected: Check that your auto insurance has the coverage you need. 

Do You Have the Coverage You Need?

With back-to-school season right around the corner, keep safety concerns top-of-mind. Reach out to your local Farm Bureau agent to help you have protection for whatever life throws your way.