SUNDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- As schools open for another year, students, parents and drivers are urged to keep traffic safety in mind.
In 2010, more than 2,800 school-aged children were killed in traffic-related crashes, according to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Most of those deaths occurred in the afternoon, between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
A nationwide traffic safety campaign called "Think Safe, Ride Safe, Be Safe!" encourages students to take the following safety precautions when traveling to school by foot, bike, bus or car.
When traveling by school bus:
When walking to school:
When cycling to school:
Parents who drive their children to school or daycare should secure each child in the proper child safety seat, booster seat or seat belt, depending on the child's age and size. Before locking the doors and leaving the car, adults are reminded to make sure that no child has been accidentally left in the vehicle, the NHTSA experts stress in an agency news release.
And, of course, all vehicle occupants -- including adults and teen drivers -- are urged to buckle up. The NHTSA says that the best way to avoid serious injury or death in a crash is to always keep your seat belt fastened.
SOURCE: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, news release, Sept. 5, 2012