Road Safety Tips for Rumson's Bike To School Day

RUMSON, NJ — The Rumson school district’s annual Bike to School Day is Wednesday, Oct. 12, and the police department wants students to have fun and drivers to be extra careful.

Bike to School Day is part of a national "Bike, Walk or Roll" idea that began 26 years ago.

The day should reduce car traffic in school zones and give kids a safe and fun way to get to and from school, police say.

So, motorists should keep in mind some hints for those driving in and around the area Wednesday, police advise:

• Pass bicyclists on the road with care; allow at least 3 feet of clearance.
• Look for cyclists before opening a car door or pulling out from a parking space.
• Yield to bicyclists at intersections and as directed by signs and signals.
• Look for bicyclists before making turns, either left or right.
• Respect designated bicycle lanes; don’t use them for parking, passing or turning.
• Never drive distracted or impaired. Always buckle up.

Oct. 12 is the 26th annual National Walk & Roll to School Day, according to the National Center for Safe Routes to School, which organizes the day nationally.

The organization is "committed to empowering communities to make active trips to school a safe, appealing, preferred choice for families," its website says.

The site offers lots of tips for communities to become places for safe walking, biking and rolling for everyone, starting with children and the trip to school.

Whether addressing the need to make routes to school safer for active trips or encouraging children to be more active, the days is meant to inspire "lasting change," its site says.