Attentive driving needed during back-to-school season

Aug. 14—Attentive driving will be particularly important in the upcoming weeks as students head back to the classroom by walking, biking or riding buses.

As children cross high-traffic areas more frequently, their smaller stature often places them at a higher risk of being involved in a motor vehicle accident due to poor driver visibility.

Sgt. Shane Hux, public information and education officer for the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Troop H, said that there are specific rules to follow when driving around school buses that help prevent dangerous events from occurring.

"If it is a two-lane highway or a two-lane road and you are meeting or following a school bus and they display their lights and their stop arm, then you are required to stop. If you are on a divided four-lane highway and you are following that bus, you must stop, but if you're traveling the opposite direction on a four-lane highway, you are not required to stop," Hux said.

Coming to complete stops, eliminating distractions such as phones and slowing down are other simple practices that can help protect students across St. Joseph and the surrounding areas.

Drivers should be prepared to stop at any given moment and should remain diligent, especially during after-school hours.

"Young children do not always pay attention and are not always aware of their surroundings," Hux said. "That's why it's important for operators of motor vehicles to pay extra close attention to anticipate a child running out into the street, whether it be passing a friend or they see a relative on the opposite side of the road. They may just dart across that highway without even looking, and that's why it's especially important for all motorists to be extra cautious around those areas."

Students can play their part in remaining safe by paying attention to their surroundings and watching out for cars when walking, biking or loading onto buses.

"For all students that are walking to school, stay alert. You know, if you have to cross the street, cross the street at intersections or marked crosswalks and never walk between parked cars. The sidewalks are available, and I would recommend that they use them as well," Hux said.

Children are expected to be seen traveling to school as early as 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 22 in St. Joseph.

Lilyann Gardner can be reached at lilyann.gardner@newspressnow.com