Smarter Driving During Back-to-School Season
Schools are back in session, so our usual morning and afternoon commutes are busier again. Let’s all do our part to keep the children of our communities safe, by keeping our guard up and our speeds down. Children can sometimes act unpredictably, so always drive especially defensively around schools, buses, and kids on the move.
Plan for Delays
- Avoid school zones when possible. Even if it adds a mile or two, the time saved on uninterrupted travel often offsets the delays.
- Choose commercial routes over residential. Residential streets may have higher concentrations of kids walking, biking, or scootering during peak hours.
- If you can’t avoid school zones on your route, make sure to build in 10–15 minutes of buffer time when driving near schools or residential neighborhoods. This keeps schedules realistic and prevents the temptation to speed or cut corners to stay on time.
Vehicle positioning is another professional-level habit that separates safe drivers from average ones.
Backing into parking spots, for instance, may take an extra moment up front, but it ensures a safer and quicker exit. It’s easier to see a child running past your vehicle through your front windshield than through your rearview mirror.
Leaving larger following distances behind other vehicles is also crucial this time of year, when buses may stop suddenly or children may appear at crosswalks. For large work trucks and equipment-heavy vehicles, these strategies provide the extra margin of safety needed to account for longer stopping distances.
When driving while on the job, we all carry the responsibility of representing the company and keeping communities safe. By planning ahead, choosing smarter routes, and adopting professional positioning habits, we can all help set the standard for safe driving.
Thank you, and drive safely everyone.
Now, with all that said, let’s give some recognition to our safest driver of August!
August’s Safe Driver Award:
Greg Pitts
Congratulations to Greg for being our Safe Driver of August!
