Photo by Zoshua Colah on Unsplash

In Boulder, most mornings during the week look the same.

Backpacks are zipped, lunches are packed, breakfast is done, and parents rush their kids out the door so they don’t miss the school bus. Then they glance at the clock and get on with their day. It’s become such a routine that it feels almost automatic.

It’s safe. It’s ordinary.

But here’s the truth, no parent wants to hear – safety isn’t given.

There are 56 schools (elementary and high) in the BVSD, and each of those trips to school is one of the riskiest parts of your children’s day, and you probably don’t even think about it. Which, in all honesty, is probably a good thing; otherwise, you’d drive yourself insane from worry.

But burying your head in the sand won’t do anyone any good either.

Of course, living in fear won’t, either, and it’s not like the point of this article is to make you paranoid because it’s not.

But if you’re aware of the dangers, you can know what to watch out for and protect your kids better.

The Dangers Kids Meet on Their Way to Class

Once kids get older and more independent a simple trip to school won’t seem like a big deal. You know they’ll go from point A to point B. We’re used to it. Especially so where you have a school bus to rely on. Besides, it’s safer than if you drive the kids yourself. But still. That doesn’t mean it’s completely safe or that there’ll never be any issues.

Here are the most common hazards for kids as they leave their house to go to school.

1. Crosswalks That Don’t Do Their Job

A crosswalk should be the safest part of the street, but that’s not always the case.

A lot of them are so faded you can barely see them. Others have no signage, or they might be placed at intersections that have a lot of traffic. For a kid who thinks a painted line equals safety, any of these problems is dangerous.

If there are no clear markings or signals to guide drivers, kids can only guess when it’s safe to cross, which sounds beyond horrifying. And the fix is simple – fresh paint, better signs, flashing lights, perhaps even a volunteer at particularly busy roads.

2. Drivers Who Look at Their Phones

Reckless speeding and fatigue are extremely dangerous, but those aren’t the biggest dangers near schools.

It’s a distraction.

Every morning and afternoon, the roads around schools are full of cars, and if you pay attention to the drivers, you’ll see something appalling. Too many of them are just glancing at the road and paying most of their attention to their phones. The saddest part? Those aren’t just random strangers; some of them are parents who are rushing to drop off or pick up their own kids.

If you’re in a school zone, even a few seconds of looking down at your phone could mean a disaster because that’s all it takes for a kid to step into the street.

3. Bus Stops That Put Kids in Danger

Bus stops can be placed in terrible locations like blind curves and next to busy roads, without any lighting or shelter. Kids who wait there are totally exposed to drivers who may not even see them before it’s too late. And to make the situation even worse, you know there are always those impatient drivers who illegally pass school buses that stop and ignore the flashing red lights.

When an accident happens, families will look for the responsible party and hire a liability lawyer to get to the bottom of the incident.

In neighbourhoods where there’s no reliable bus service and where there’s no safe sidewalks many families have started using rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft for their school runs. But even though these services seem convenient, they aren’t without risk (same as buses, really).

And if any accidents do (unfortunately) happen, they tend to be far more complicated than a traditional car crash. That’s why every parent should know about at least one Uber/Lyft rideshare accident lawyer because they’ll know exactly what needs to be done and they’ll walk you through the whole process.

4. Weather That Makes Safe Routes Dangerous

Even the best route can become dangerous if the weather changes. Rain can make sidewalks very slick, snow and ice can turn stairs into slippery nightmares, heavy storms, fog… There’s so much that can go wrong when the weather turns; it’s scary to even think about.

This isn’t something anybody can control, despite what conspiracy theories say, but being extra cautious pays off.

5. Sidewalks That Just End

Some sidewalks disappear. And, while that’s just frustrating for most adults, it’s very dangerous for kids. You’ll see children walking along the edge of a busy street in many suburbs or rural areas because there’s simply no sidewalk to walk on. This forces kids to get in harm’s way, but it also means there’s more traffic in school drop-offs because more parents drive their kids to school so they can avoid the nonexistent sidewalks.

It seems so basic to say that we should have more sidewalks, but isn’t it sad how they could do so much to keep our children safe, and yet, there aren’t enough of them around?

Conclusion

When you ask your grandparents about their school days, they’ll tell you they walked hundreds of miles, in the snow, without shoes, across mountains, dodging predators. When you ask your parents, it’s pretty much the same deal, but they’ll say they had their shoes at least. You know, ‘cause they’re so much more realistic.

Kids don’t have it easy either, although it’s not exactly this dramatic walk-in-the-snow-barefoot ordeal or running away from bears. But none of the problems Boulder kids face today are impossible to fix.

Actually, they’re super easy to fix; if only someone – Aaron Brockett (Mayor) – would just be willing to push for the changes to be made.

John Mali Director of Media Relations

Director of Media Relations at AboutBoulder.com

john@aboutboulder.com