Burbank Unified School District welcomed students to the first day of school on Monday, August 13. Approximately 12,000 students are enrolled in BUSD schools on 11 different campuses throughout the city.
The District partnered with the Burbank Police Department, the City of Burbank and the Automobile Club of Southern California/AAA at a safety awareness event on August 9 at David Starr Jordan Middle School.
Superintendent Matt Hill visited several schools throughout the District on the first day of classes. Principals and staff at each school site bustled to help students find their way around campus and begin the 2018-19 school year.
BUSD and AAA released a list of safety advice for families, caregivers and students.
Driving safety tips:
- Slow down. Speed limits in school zones are reduced for a reason. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling 25 mph is much less likely to be killed than a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling just 10 mph faster. The difference between 25 mph and 35 mph can save a life.
- Eliminate distractions and put down the cell phone. 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.
- Talk to your teen. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States, and more than one-quarter of fatal crashes involving teen drivers occur during the after-school hours of 3 to 7 p.m. Get evidence-based guidance and tips at TeenDriving.AAA.com.
- 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.
- Watch for 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 wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet on every ride. Find videos, expert advice and safety tips at ShareTheRoad.AAA.com.
Distracted walking safety tips include:
- Wait until you get to your destination before calling people, texting, or gaming. If you have to text or make a call while walking, stop and find a safe location.
- Avoid using hands-free devices while walking – Hang up and walk!
- Remove your headphones or turn down the volume of your music so you can hear what’s going on around you.
- Keep watching out for cars while crossing the street. There are a lot of distracted drivers out there so keep looking all around you while in and around crosswalks.
- Be a role model. Pay attention while you walk and if you see your friends and family distracted while they walk – speak up.
