By LCSW: The summer sights and sounds in the streets of Lakewood are replaced by the honking of school buses and briefcase-laden children. It’s undeniable: Lakewood students, teachers, bus drivers, janitors, parents, principals and lunch servers are officially Back to School.

Of course, with the changing of the seasons come diverse safety concerns. Hurried drivers fail to observe buses stopping to let off or pick up students, groups of young children wait alone for their buses at quiet street corners and boys walk home in the dark, after a long day of learning.

As we strive to provide our precious children with the very best education possible, equal consideration must be given to their physical safety.

As you drive through the streets of our crowded town, Baruch Hashem inundated with dozens, if not hundreds, of school buses, please observe all the safety laws. Stop for a school bus with a stop sign out and do not ever, ever try to go around one. There are lives at stake.

Drive carefully around corners where children wait for their buses, as children often carelessly step into the street to peer down the block and see if their bus is coming. Parents, educate your children to be careful on the roads. Teach them not to step off the sidewalk while waiting for the bus, to look before crossing, to cross safely in front of the bus.

When bus accidents do occur, the potential for serious injury is increased when children are standing and jumping on the bus. Insist that your children sit and behave on the bus. When driving preschool age children to playgroups and babysitters, make sure each child is properly buckled in age appropriate car seats.

It is important for at least one parent to be present at every bus stop. We often get calls from passersby observing suspicious adults approaching groups of young children at bus stops. When children are alone, without a visible adult presence, they are vulnerable to nefarious characters.

Make sure your children know their contact information, and even have it on their person at all times. Remind them never to speak to strangers, and never to get in a car with someone else.

As the slower pace of summer gives way to the frenetic activity of the back to school and yom tov season, don’t compromise on the safety of all of our children, and all the residents of Lakewood, in your rush to accomplish the tasks on your never-ending to do list.

Take a pause to make sure you, your family and your children are staying safe and keeping others safe.

Report any suspicious activity to the police and to LCSW’s 24 hour emergency dispatch center at 732-367-1212.