CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Drivers will soon be seeing the flashing lights of school zones this week as schools return to session following the winter holiday break.
The Texas Department of Public Safety wants to remind everyone ahead of that return to be aware of their local school zones and to travel carefully through them.
Texas Highway Patrol Sgt. Harold "Rob" Mallory said that data collected by Texas DPS shows an uptick in accidents during back-to-school bussing.
"When we see school bus related crashes it tends to be right around the time kids go back to school because we've gotten accustomed to not seeing those busses on the roadway."
Mallory said this is the time to be paying the most attention so as not to be caught off guard, and that it is important to be extra careful driving around children who may also have their guard down."We just need to be keeping an eye out on all sides of the road watching for kids as they walk to and from school or get on and off the bus as they're going to be excited about going back, talking about the holidays with their friends, they may not always pay the best attention to their surroundings," he said.
Mallory provided tips for parents to keep kids safe as they get back into the swing of things. He encouraged parents to sit down and talk with children, especially those who ride the bus, about safety rules like standing away from the curb while waiting at the bus stop, moving directly to the seat once there are on the bus, and buckling up if there is a seatbelt available.