Back to school safety tips

Children across British Columbia return to school in September. Whether you are a parent, teacher or motorist, we all have a key role to play in ensuring our kids head back to school safely.

Back to school infographic

The back to school infographic provides tips on:

• Pedestrian safety
• Reminders for motorists
• Street and online proofing

Motor vehicle collisions are the number one cause of injury or death among children.

Did you know?

• When children see an approaching car, they first notice the colour - not how fast the vehicle is traveling.
• A child’s field of vision is one-third narrower than an adult’s.
• Most pedestrian traffic injuries happen to five to nine-year-olds in mid-block crossings, and to 10 to 14-year-olds at intersections.

Learn more back to school road safety tips.

Internet safety

The Internet opens up a world of information and is quickly becoming an integral tool with ready access whenever and wherever you are through cell phones and computers.

Internet safety involves ensuring that people, specifically children and youth, have the information needed to develop safe online surfing habits.

Learn more Internet safety tips.

Drug awareness

Inform yourself of the agenda and strategies of those who would justify, rationalize and legitimize drug use to sell drugs to our children.

Young people need adults who they can communicate with about values, feelings and  decision-making. This support prepares them for situations where they are introduced to drugs and opens dialogue with them in case they make a mistake.

Use open-ended questions such as, Why do you think drugs are becoming a problem at your school? Don’t ask, Have any of your friends asked you to try a drug?

Did you know?

• Among students who smoked marijuana before age 18, 43% go on to use cocaine; conversely, less than 1% of non-smokers ever use cocaine.
• Street drugs pose a physical threat as well as a legal one, in that there are no controls on the quality, content, safety or strength of drugs being sold this way.
• Drug use can affect the health and safety of a young person’s friends and siblings, for example, if they drink and drive, or smoke around others.

Recognize the signs of gang

Available research indicates that, although so-called youth gang members' ages range from eight to 50+ in some cases, the average age tends to be 14-16.

Gangs spread across all races and ethnic origins. They are not restricted to any one socio-economic group.

School age youth looking for a surrogate family are particularly susceptible to gang involvement. Yet gangs function directly in opposition to true families: where families sacrifice for the benefit of the individual member, the gang requires the individual to sacrifice for the whole.

Did you know?

• Dropping out of school or truancy are risk factors influencing a youth's gang involvement.
• Gang-related crimes range from vandalism, burglary and theft to arson, assault, drug selling and homicide.
• Acknowledgment of the problem rather than denial is crucial to developing solutions.

Learn more about how to recognize the signs of gang involvement.

Street proof your child

Incidents of child abduction are rare. However, it is important to reinforce basic safety principles to your children in order to educate and prepare them, should they be approached.

Some tips to plan for, keep in mind and discuss with your children are:  

• There is safety in numbers. Whenever possible, walk with a friend or relative.
• Explain that rides should never be accepted without consultation with the parent, even if the child knows the individual.

Learn more about street proofing.