With the first day of school approaching, there are many safety concerns parents and the students should keep in mind and be aware of, including the need for vaccinations, obeying school zones and yielding to buses, security at the schools, bicycle safety, after school safety and strangers.
Disease prevention is an important key to public health. It is always better to prevent a disease than to treat it.
Vaccines prevent disease in the children who receive them and protect those who come into contact with unvaccination children. If a child is not vaccinated and is exposed to a disease germ, the child's body may not be strong enough to fight the disease.
Vaccines are responsible for the control of many infectious diseases that were once common in this country, including: Polio, Measles, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Whooping Cough),Rubella (German Measles), Mumps and Tenatus.
HPD reminds drivers to use caution and slow down while driving through school zones. Laser and motorcycle units are keeping a watchful eye on drivers who exceed the school zone speed limit. Motorists should pay close attention to flashing school zone lights as well as posted signs. The flashing lights operate automatically when classes are in session. Report any inoperable flashing school zone beacon lights by calling 311.
It's not worth a few seconds when it may result in a tragedy.
Buses
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), bus transportation is safe with most injuries and deaths have actually occurred as the students were entering and exiting the bus. The NSC recommends the following safety tips in regards to bus safety:
Have a safe place to wait for your bus, away from traffic and the street.
Stay away from the bus until it comes to a complete stop and the driver signals you to enter.
When being dropped off, exit the bus and walk ten giant steps away from the bus. Keep a safe distance between you and the bus. Also, remember that the bus driver can see you best when you are back away from the bus.
Use the handrail to enter and exit the bus.
Stay away from the bus until the driver gives his/her signal that it's okay to approach.
Be aware of the street traffic around you. Drivers are required to follow certain rules of the road concerning school buses, however, not all do. Protect yourself and watch out!
Bicycle Safety
Many of the serious injuries resulted from school-age children being hit by vehicles while they were walking or riding their bicycles. Some safety tips to help avoid such injuries are:
Teach children safe bicycle road behavior
Wear helmets at all times when bicycling. Head injury is the leading cause of death in bike crashes. Head injuries account for more than 60 percent of bicycle-related deaths , more than two-thirds of bicycle-related hospital admissions and about one-third of hospital emergency room visits for bicycling injuries. Bike helmets have been shown to reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent and the risk of brain injury by as much as 88 percent. Purchase a bike helmet that meets U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission safety standards for each child , and make sure that it is worn correctly every time the child rides his or her bike.
Follow the rules of the road. Children who ride bikes to school should be taught to follow the rules of the road that apply to all vehicles. Ride on the right side of the road , with traffic , not against traffic; use appropriate hand signals; respect traffic signals; stop at all intersections , marked and unmarked; and stop and look left , right and left again before entering or crossing the street.
Never let children ride on the road without direct adult supervision until age 10. Cycling should be restricted to sidewalks and paths until a child is able to show how well he or she rides and observes the basic rules of the road. Parental and adult supervision is essential until traffic skills and judgment thresholds are reached by each child.
Plan a safe cycling route with your children , and ride it with them. A safe cycling route to school may not be the same as a safe walking route. Streets with a steady flow of fast-moving traffic are not appropriate for young cyclists with limited traffic experience.
Do not ride at night. Children should not be allowed to ride after dark and should wear retro reflective clothing when biking at dawn , dusk , or during inclement weather. The risk of sustaining an injury at dawn , dusk or night is nearly four times greater than during the daytime.
Bike racks should be placed in areas where there are few motor vehicles and pedestrians. In addition , schools should offer space for safe storage of helmets. Cyclists need to void drop-off and pick-up zones in school parking lots.
Disease prevention is an important key to public health. It is always better to prevent a disease than to treat it. 
Many of the serious injuries resulted from school-age children being hit by vehicles while they were walking or riding their bicycles. Some safety tips to help avoid such injuries are: