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Back to School Road Safety

As summer winds down and students eagerly head back to school, it's crucial to keep safety at the forefront of our minds. With children aged 5 to 14 at higher risk for pedestrian-vehicle injuries, the return to the classroom brings a surge of activity around schools, crosswalks, and bus stops. As drivers, we must remain vigilant and proactive in ensuring the safety of our young ones during this busy season. In this post, we'll share essential back-to-school safety tips to help create a safer environment for children as they embark on a new academic year. Let's work together to keep our streets secure for everyone!

In this issue:

Do I need a USDOT Number?
What is a USDOT Number?
CVSA Brake Safety Week Scheduled for August 24-30.
Registration is open online for the 2025 Idealease/NPTC Fall Safety Seminar!

Read, share, and/or print this week's Safety Bulletin.
Check out past Idealease Safety Bulletins.

Back-to-school tips:

Be familiar with school zones. Pay attention to school zones and crosswalks on your regular routes. Familiar roads can lead to more accidents, including those involving pedestrians.
Stop for school bus lights. Always stop for school buses with flashing red lights; drivers must remain stopped while the lights are on. Flashing yellow lights indicate that drivers can proceed with caution, often signaling the bus is about to stop.
Obey crossing guards. School crossing guards receive police training and have similar authority to local traffic officers. Ignoring their directions can lead to serious consequences. It's safer to drive on main roads with crossing guards and crosswalks rather than take shortcuts on side streets where children may be unsupervised.
Anticipate the worst. It's harder for young children to judge the speed and distance of approaching vehicles accurately. To ensure safety, always be prepared for the possibility that a small child might unexpectedly run into your path; slow down and be ready to stop.
Be careful around parked vehicles. Take extra caution around parked vehicles as they can obstruct the view of children waiting to cross the road.
Turn your headlights on. Drive with headlights on in areas with children and pedestrians. The AAA says that the use of headlights can reduce pedestrian accidents by about 25 percent.
Avoid using cell phones when driving. Cell phones are a distraction. Avoid the use of hand-held cellphones and refrain from using hands-free options. Overall, keep your distractions while driving to a minimum.
Avoid reversing. Small children are harder to notice, so triple-check your blind spots when backing up.
Avoid speeding. In many school zones, the speed limit is typically 25 miles per hour when school is in session or when children are nearby. In poor weather or areas with restricted visibility, it's essential to reduce your speed further. Factors like visibility to pedestrians, your ability to spot them, and your stopping distance can all be significantly affected by weather conditions or road obstructions. Always exercise common sense and slow down when necessary.
Avoid honking at pedestrians or cyclists. Honking at children, whether they are walking or riding a bike, is typically unwise. The sudden noise might startle them, leading to a trip or fall, which could put them in a risky situation with oncoming traffic.

School Buses and Laws

As the school year begins, it's noticeable that the number of school buses on the roads increases, even if you don't have children in school. While laws can differ from state to state, typically, you are required to stop when a school bus is picking up or dropping off students, regardless of which side of the street you're on. It's important to know that passing a school bus with its red lights flashing is against the law in all states.

Be cautious of school buses stopping at railroad crossings, and take the time to learn your local regulations concerning school bus safety.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in their guide "Reducing Illegal Passing of School Buses," many school buses are illegally passed approximately once every day. Alarmingly, some drivers even pass school buses on the right side, which is the side children use to get on and off the bus.

Do I need a USDOT Number?

We often receive this question from our customers, so we decided to tackle it this week. It typically emerges when we have a customer who is an INTRAstate carrier, which means they are governed by their state regulations rather than the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) INTERstate rules.

The following thirty-eight states and Puerto Rico require a USDOT number for INTRAstate operations:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

What is a USDOT Number?

Companies involved in transporting passengers or hauling cargo across state lines must register with the FMCSA and obtain a USDOT Number.

Furthermore, commercial carriers operating intrastate that handle hazardous materials in quantities requiring a safety permit must also register for a USDOT Number.

This unique USDOT Number is essential for the company's safety and monitoring of the company's safety information during audits, compliance reviews, crash investigations, and inspections.

CVSA Brake Safety Week Scheduled for August 24–30

This year, Brake Safety Week is set to take place from August 24 to 30, as announced by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). This annual enforcement initiative is part of the larger Brake Safety Awareness Month, observed throughout August.

During Brake Safety Week, roadside inspectors will:

Concentrate on brake systems and components during North American Standard Inspections
Place a specific focus this year on brake drums and rotors

CVSA will provide a report detailing its findings later in the year. This event also serves as a valuable chance for motor carriers to educate their drivers and maintenance personnel about the critical importance of brake system safety.

Registration is now open for the 2025 Idealease/NPTC Fall Safety Seminars!

Idealease and the National Private Truck Council NPTC will again be hosting safety seminars in the spring and fall of 2025. The one-day seminar this year will focus on basic safety and compliance, regulation changes and CSA. The seminars will be provided to all Idealease customers, potential customers and NPTC members at no charge. The seminar provides important information applicable for both the novice and experienced transportation professionals.

Upcoming Fall Seminars:

9/16/2025 - Weirton, WV
9/30/2025 - Knoxville, TN
10/7/2025 - Orlando, FL
10/14/2025 - Atlanta, GA
10/16/2025 - Nashville, TN
10/21/2025 - Los Angeles, CA
10/23/2025 - Linthicum, MD

To register for an upcoming fall seminar in 2025, click on the following link:
Safety Seminar Registration

*The Idealease Safety Bulletin is provided for Idealease locations and their customers and is not to be construed as a complete or exhaustive source of compliance or safety information. The Idealease Safety Bulletin is advisory in nature and does not warrant, guarantee, or otherwise certify compliance with laws, regulations, requirements, or guidelines of any local, state, or Federal agency and/or governing body, or industry standards.