As the new school year begins, AAA Carolinas wants to remind motorists about safe ways to share the roads with young pedestrians, bicyclists and school buses. The afternoon hours are proven to be the most dangerous for kids walking home from school. Over the last decade, nearly one-third of child pedestrian fatalities have occurred after school hours between 3 and 7 p.m.

“This is the perfect time of the year to remind everyone to be a defensive driver when driving near schools,” said Tiffany Wright, President of AAA Carolinas Foundation for Traffic Safety. “We all need to be extra vigilant when driving through school zones and neighborhood streets, as children are traveling to and from school.”

AAA urges motorists to follow these six tips for sharing the road:

Wait your turn: It is illegal to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children. School buses use yellow flashing lights to alert motorists that they are preparing to stop. Red flashing lights and an extended stop sign arm also signal that children are getting on or off the bus.

Don’t Drive Distracted: Dangerous practices behind the wheel, like eating, grooming, texting and talking on the phone, take a driver’s eyes off the road and can have devastating consequences. AAA encourages all motorists to put down their mobile devices and Disconnect and Drive.

Check the medians: Traffic in both directions must stop on undivided roadways when students are entering or exiting a school bus. On a divided roadway, traffic behind the school bus must stop.

Extra room: The area 10 feet around a school bus is where children are in the most danger of getting hit. Stop your car far enough from the bus to allow children the necessary space to safely enter and exit the bus.

Slow down: During busy weekday commutes, remember to slow down, allow for extra commute time and avoid driving distracted on your way to and from work. Keep in mind that fines are doubled in school zones when signs are out.

Don’t cross the line: Drivers should not block the crosswalk when stopped at a red light or waiting to make a turn. Leave pedestrians with plenty of room to cross safely.

If your child will be walking or biking to school, AAA urges parents and caregivers to discuss the following five safety tips with them:

Be alert: Look left, right and left again, before crossing the street. Children also should be advised to avoid distractions and watch for potential road hazards.

Take heed: Always stop when directed to do so by a school patrol sign, school patrol officer or crossing guard.

Wear a helmet: Kids who bicycle always should wear a helmet. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety states that a helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent.

Phone a friend: Have kids walk to school with a relative, friend or neighbor

Walk with caution: Walk only on the sidewalk, and cross the street only at crosswalks. Avoid walking in front of, behind or between parked cars. Remind children that even though they can see a vehicle, doesn’t mean that vehicle can see them.

AAA Carolinas, an affiliate of the American Automobile Association, is a not-for-profit organization that serves more than 1.9 million members and the public with travel, automobile and insurance services while being an advocate for the safety and security of all travelers.