KINGSPORT – As of Monday morning, August 3, 2015, Kingsport City Schools will be back in session.‚  The Kingsport Police Department will be patrolling Kingsports various school zones and actively enforcing traffic violations.‚  Motorists are urged to slow down and drive with an increased level of situational awareness, especially around school zones.‚  Following, are some Back to School Safe Driving Tips from our friends at the National Safety Council:

Slow Down: Back to School Means Sharing the Road

Things get a little crazy on the roads during the school year.‚  Buses are everywhere, kids on bikes are hurrying to get to school before the bell rings, and anxious parents are trying to drop their kids off before work.‚  It’s never more important for drivers to slow down and pay attention than when kids are present ‚¬ especially before and after school.

If You’re Dropping Off

Schools often have very specific drop-off procedures for the school year. ‚ Make sure you know them for the safety of all kids. ‚ According to the National Safe Routes to School program, more children are hit by cars near schools than at any other location. ‚ The following‚ apply to all school zones:

• Don’t double park; it blocks visibility for other children and vehicles.
• Don’t load or unload children across the street from the school.
• Carpool to reduce the number of vehicles at the school.

Sharing the Road with Young Pedestrians

According to research by the National Safety Council, most of the children who lose their lives in bus-related incidents are 4 to 7 years old, and they’re walking. ‚ They are hit by the bus, or by a motorist illegally passing a stopped bus. ‚ A few‚ precautions go a long way toward keeping children safe:

• Don’t block the crosswalk when stopped at a red light or waiting to make a turn, forcing pedestrians to go around you; this could put them in the path of moving traffic.
• In a school zone when flashers are blinking, stop and yield to pedestrians crossing the crosswalk or intersection.
• Always stop for a school patrol officer or crossing guard holding up a stop sign.
• Take extra care to look out for children in school zones, near playgrounds and parks, and in all residential areas.
• Don’t honk or rev your engine to scare a pedestrian, even if you have the right of way.
• Never pass a vehicle stopped for pedestrians.
• Always use extreme caution to avoid striking pedestrians wherever they may be, no matter who has the right of way.

Sharing the Road with School Buses

If you’re driving behind a bus, allow a greater following distance than if you were driving behind a car. ‚ It will give you more time to stop once the yellow lights start flashing. ‚ It is illegal in all 50 states to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children.

• Never pass a bus from behind ‚¬ or from either direction if you’re on an undivided road ‚¬ if it is stopped to load or unload children.
• If the yellow or red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended, traffic must stop.
• The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children; stop far enough back to allow them space to safely enter and exit the bus.
• Be alert; children often are unpredictable, and they tend to ignore hazards and take risks.

Sharing the Road with Bicyclists

On most roads, bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as vehicles, but‚ bikes can be hard to see. ‚ Children riding bikes create special problems for drivers because usually they are not able to properly determine traffic conditions.‚  The most common cause of collision is a driver turning left in front of a bicyclist.

• When passing a bicyclist, proceed in the same direction slowly, and leave 3 feet between your car and the cyclist.
• When turning left and a bicyclist is approaching in the opposite direction, wait for‚ the rider‚ to pass.
• If you’re turning right and a bicyclists is approaching from behind on the right, let the rider go through the intersection first, and always use your turn signals.
• Watch for bike riders turning in front of you without looking or signaling; children especially have a tendency to do this.
• Be extra vigilant in school zones and residential neighborhoods.
• Watch for bikes coming from driveways or behind parked cars.
• Check side mirrors before opening your door.

By exercising‚ a little extra care and caution, motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians, and school buses can co-exist safely in school zones and throughout the City of Kingsport.

KINGSPORT – The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) is hosting a webinar ‚¬ Engaging Millennials: Creating Young Arts Advocates ‚¬ on August 19, 2015, to provide an overview of millennial participation trends, and discuss strategies and programs that have successfully resulted in the inspiration and empowerment of this generation.

The Tennessee Arts Commission invites you to join the conversation from 3-4 PM (EST) for the seminar. Acting as partner participants in Tennessee are ArtsMemphis, ArtsBuild in Chattanooga and the Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts. The Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts will be hosting the seminar in Kingsport.‚  It will be located in the Domtar Community Room at the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce, 400 Clinchfield Street, Kingsport, TN 37660.

Please RSVP to the Office of Cultural Arts at (423) 392-8414 or macdonald@kingsporttn.gov

The webinar will discuss engaging the largest generation since the baby boomers in the arts. Millennials, now young adults ages 18-35, are‚ important to have as arts participants and advocates as they are fully involved in todays technological revolution and are tomorrows emerging leaders. Presenters will include John Schratwieser, Executive Director of Maryland Citizens for the Arts; Tracie Konopinski, Senior Campaign Organizer of MASSCreative; and W. Omari Rush, Curator or Public Programs of Ann Arbor Art Center and Council Member of the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

The webinar will be available at‚ four locations (one being Kingsport) in Tennessee. After the webinar, Tennessee Arts Commission will publish a report on the webinar.

In addition to viewing the webinar, the group locations will provide an excellent opportunity to network with colleagues. We also encourage a digital conversation using social media to continue the discussion. Expand your experience by posting on Facebook and Twitter; tag your locations account‚ and use #cultivateTN on your posts.

Follow the link below for more information:

http://engagekingsport.com/?p=81876