Rutter mills

Children are unpredictable in nature and the responsibility is on the adult drivers among us.  Let's all do our part to keep our roads safe for the children of Roanoke.

It is that time of year, and with kids back in school the Roanoke roadways will be full of children headed back to school.  From school buses to newly licensed teen drivers, to children walking to the bus stops - drivers need to be prepared to exercise additional caution in order to avoid accidents this back to school season.  Children do not always have the capacity to consider the risks of the roadways, so the responsibility falls on the adults who share the road to take extra precaution to ensure the roadways stay safe for children.

As auto accident lawyers in the state of Virginia, we see our fair share of devastating accidents.  While every accident is a tragedy, those involving children are even more gut wrenching than usual.  Please exercise caution on the roadways this back to school season.  If you are the parent of a newly licensed teen driver, make sure you express the gravity of the situation to your teen and do everything you can to emphasize the importance of safe driving.  Below are a few safe driving tips for the back to school season.

- Keep an extra distance when driving around a school bus.  Watch their signals carefully, and never pass a stopped school bus.

- Exercise additional caution in residential areas and school zones.  Avoid speeding and distracted driving.

- Do not block crosswalks, as they force pedestrians to walk around into possible danger.

- Pay extra attention to signs and signals for school zones and passenger crossings.

Remember with children heading back to school, the dynamic of the roadways change.  Children are unpredictable in nature and the responsibility is on the adult drivers among us.  Let's all do our part to keep our roads safe for the children of Roanoke.