Arizona summers seem to fly by. Just last week, we posted safety tips for Arizona families' summer road trips; today, we're changing gears and offering information on how to keep students safe as they walk to and from school during the new school year. But it is never too early for parents to begin to instill the knowledge and behaviors that will help students avoid pedestrian accidents as they walk to and from school.

To help protect local students, Arizona law enforcement agencies have offered several tips for students of all ages who regularly walk to school. Most importantly, students should ensure that they are following all traffic laws, signs and signals at all times, and walk on sidewalks (instead of the street) whenever possible.

Students should cross streets at crosswalks or corners. Push the "pedestrian walk" button on traffic signals, if available, and wait for the "walk" signal, which will allow more time to cross the street. If you are at an intersection without a traffic signal, wait for a lengthy break in traffic before crossing the street. Look left, look right, and look left again before stepping into the street. Make eye contact with drivers to ensure that they see you, and wear bright clothes at night to ensure that you have as much visibility as possible.

Children should be taught to cross far in front of school buses and not on the bus' side or back so they are easily seen by the driver. Above all, parents should teach their children to walk (not run!) carefully and to constantly be aware of their surroundings.

Source: ABC Action News, "How to prevent injuries, deaths during the school year for walkers," August 3, 2011