As families prepare for the start of the school year, local police are reminding parents and students to
think about safety both online and on the road.
Hastings Police Chief Kyle Linscheid says parents should be careful about what they reveal when posting those traditional back-to-school photos on social media.
Linscheid says parents should avoid sharing personal information that could identify where a child lives or goes to school.
“We see a lot of times on social media people posting things that aren’t necessarily in their best interest. Some things that came to mind to me were the name of your child’s school, the name of your child, your address, or any personal information.”
He also says parents should check what else may be visible in the background, including family members or license plates, and think about who can see the post.
“Would you feel comfortable with a total stranger seeing this information?”
Linscheid is also reminding drivers to slow down around schools and bus stops, where children can be unpredictable.
He says drivers should watch for students walking, riding bikes, and scooters and should put their phones away when approaching school zones and crossings.
And when it comes to school buses, Linscheid says drivers need to know when they are required to stop.
“When those yellow lights are flashing, that means the bus is preparing to stop. And as soon as that arm goes out and the red lights are flashing with the extended arm, you have to stop at least 30 feet away from the bus, and you need to stay there until that arm is back and the bus is in motion again.”
Linscheid says students riding bikes or scooters should wear helmets, and everyone in a vehicle should buckle up.
“Slow down, especially when you’re getting into a school zone and a crossing; kids are really unpredictable, so just slow down. I’ve said this before too. Put your phone away. Those are really vulnerable areas, especially as you get closer to schools and bus stops. Pay attention to the road. Everybody should be wearing their seat belts. Be really cognizant of kids on bikes. The beginning of the school year around here is typically nicer for quite some time, and we’ll see bikes and scooters. And for any kids or younger drivers, if you’re on a bike or a scooter, please wear your helmet. And then for any of you new drivers, keep your seatbelts on.“
Linscheid says parents should review the city’s existing information about e-bikes and e-motos.
“We’ve tried to be very intentional about putting information out about those e-bikes and the e-motos, and I believe that graphic that we have is still available on our city website, and I would encourage parents to look at that.“
And as the new school year gets underway, Linscheid has one final message for families.
“I really hope that people do pay attention. I hope nobody gets hurt and everybody goes back to school safely, and we have a good school year.”
[Click the soundbite to listen to the report.]