As Alaska students return for the 2026-27 school year, safety extends beyond the classroom. Our Alaska Back-to-School Safety Series covers the most important risks families and drivers should understand – from school buses, school zones, and increased traffic to children walking or biking to school and staying safe during after-school activities. Start with our Alaska Back-to-School Safety Tips, then learn more safety tips in this article for Alaska Kids Walking to School; followed by Alaska After School Safety; Alaska School Bus Stop Safety; and Alaska School Drop-Off Safety.

Alaska Kids Walking to School: Safety Tips

As the 2026-27 school year gets underway, more Alaska children will be walking and bicycling to school, waiting for buses, and traveling through neighborhoods during busy morning and afternoon hours.

Alaska’s roads can present unique challenges for young pedestrians. Changing daylight, weather, snow and ice, limited visibility, and drivers who may not expect children in the roadway can all increase the risk of a serious accident.

Parents can help by teaching children how to recognize traffic hazards and make safer choices when walking or biking to school.

How Can Alaska Kids Walking to School Stay Safe?

Children can stay safer by using sidewalks and crosswalks when available, obeying traffic signals, staying visible, and making sure approaching vehicles have stopped before crossing.

Parents should practice the route with younger children before the school year begins. Identify safe places to cross streets and point out intersections, driveways, parking lots, and other areas where vehicles may enter the child’s path.

Children should also understand that knowing the traffic rules does not guarantee that a driver will see them.

Teach Children to Stop, Look and Listen

Before crossing a street, children should:

1. Stop at the edge of the roadway.
2. Look left, right, and left again.
3. Listen for approaching vehicles.
4. Cross only when it is safe.
5. Continue watching for vehicles while crossing.

Children should avoid distractions such as looking at a phone or wearing headphones that make it difficult to hear traffic.

Make Eye Contact With Drivers

When possible, children should make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of a vehicle.

But eye contact is not a guarantee that a driver will stop. Children should wait until the vehicle has stopped and then check for other traffic before crossing.

Use Crosswalks Whenever Possible

Teach children to use designated crosswalks rather than crossing between parked vehicles or in the middle of a block.

A crosswalk can make a child easier for drivers to recognize, but children still need to look for approaching vehicles.

Parents should also explain that a driver turning through a crosswalk may not see a child immediately.

Before crossing, look for vehicles approaching from every direction – including vehicles turning onto the street.

Make Alaska Kids Walking to School Easier to See

Visibility becomes especially important as Alaska moves toward shorter days.

A child may be difficult for a driver to see when walking near a roadway in darkness, rain, snow, fog, or other low-visibility conditions.

Parents can improve visibility by choosing:

• Brightly colored jackets and outerwear
• Backpacks with reflective material
• Reflective strips or tape
• Reflective shoes or accessories
• Lights and reflectors for bicycles and scooters

Reflective gear does not replace safe behavior, but it can help drivers recognize a child sooner.

Walking Near Parking Lots and Driveways

Children can face significant risks even when they are not crossing a major roadway.

Parking lots and driveways can be particularly challenging because vehicles may move backward or forward with limited visibility.

Teach children to:

• Watch for vehicles entering and leaving driveways.
• Avoid walking directly behind vehicles.
• Stay alert in parking lots.
• Use sidewalks when available.
• Never assume a vehicle will stop.
• Give moving vehicles plenty of space.

Parents should be especially cautious when dropping children off at school. Children may move unpredictably as they get in or out of vehicles.

Alaska Kids and Bicycles

Bicycling can be a healthy and convenient way for older children to get to school, but children need to understand that bicycles share roads and paths with vehicles and pedestrians.

Before allowing a child to ride to school, parents should review the route and consider the child’s age, experience, traffic conditions, and ability to follow traffic rules.

Children riding bicycles should:

• Wear a properly fitted helmet.
• Follow traffic signs and signals.
• Ride predictably.
• Watch for vehicles at intersections.
• Use lights and reflectors when riding in low-light conditions.
• Avoid distractions.
• Watch carefully for vehicles turning across their path.

Parents should also check that bicycles have working brakes, tires, lights, and reflectors before the school year begins.

What Should Kids Do When a School Bus Arrives?

Children should stay away from the roadway while waiting for a school bus.

Teach children to:

• Wait in a safe location away from traffic.
• Avoid pushing or running toward the bus.
• Wait until the bus comes to a complete stop.
• Follow the driver’s instructions.
• Use handrails when getting on and off the bus.
• Stay alert around the bus.
• Never walk behind the bus.

If a child needs to cross the street after getting off the bus, teach them to follow the bus driver’s directions and carefully check for traffic.

Alaska’s Changing Daylight Matters

Back-to-school safety looks different in August than it does later in the school year.

As fall progresses, Alaska communities experience increasingly limited daylight. Depending on where a family lives, children may eventually travel to or from school in darkness or low-light conditions.

Parents should reconsider their child’s route and visibility as daylight changes.

A route that feels safe in August may require additional precautions later in the fall and winter.

Add reflective clothing, lights, and other visibility equipment as the days become shorter.

Create a Safe Route to School For Alaska Kids Walking to School

Parents can reduce risk by planning a consistent route with their children.

Look for:

• Sidewalks and separated pathways
• Marked crosswalks
• Traffic signals
• Crossing guards
• Areas with good visibility
• Roads with lower traffic volumes
• Safe locations to wait for a school bus

Avoid routes that require children to cross busy roads unnecessarily or walk along roads without safe pedestrian areas.

Practice the route together before school starts, and revisit it if weather, construction, or seasonal conditions change.

What Parents Should Remember

Children do not always recognize traffic hazards the way adults do. They may misjudge the speed or distance of an approaching vehicle, become distracted, or unexpectedly change direction.

Parents can help by practicing safe pedestrian habits throughout the school year—not just during the first week of school.

Talk with your children about:

• Crossing streets safely
• Watching for turning vehicles
• Staying visible
• Using crosswalks
• Bicycle and helmet safety
• School bus safety
• Parking lot safety
• Walking safely in low-light conditions

Most importantly, remind children that they must never assume a driver sees them.

A Safer School Year Starts With Awareness

As Alaska children return to school for the 2026-27 school year, parents, children, drivers, and schools all have a role in keeping students safe.

Take time to practice the safest route to school, check your child’s visibility, and talk about the traffic situations they are likely to encounter.

Slow down. Stay visible. Pay attention. And give Alaska’s children the time and space they need to get to school safely.

Disclaimer: This article series provides general educational information about Alaska School Safety for the 2026-27 School Year. However, it is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Because every case is unique, consult a qualified Alaska personal injury attorney about your specific circumstances.

Johnson Law, P.C. has been helping injured Alaskans and those injured while visiting Alaska for 30 years. It’s who we are. And while we hope you never need us… We’re here if you do. ~ Doug Johnson

Alaska School Information Source: Alaska Department of Education & Early Development

Image modified using ChatGPT – Prompt: Kids Arriving at an Alaska Middle School

Discuss Biking Safety Often

Bicyclists in Alaska are required to abide by the same rules of the road as a driver of a motor vehicle. These rules increase Alaska Biking Safety. Obey all road signs, use bike lanes, sidewalks, and roadways appropriately, and always pay attention to those around you. Remind your children to be aware of their surroundings and practice biking safety every time they go for a bike ride.

It’s also important to note that automobile drivers must respect cyclists. Alaska drivers should be aware of and looking for bicyclists. Share the road with cyclists as you would with an automobile driver.

Practice Alaska Biking Safety

Improve awareness by practicing safety skills before going on a long bike ride. Stopping and looking both ways when crossing streets, using correct hand signals, and walking bikes across roadways are some examples of important Alaska Biking Safety skills for bicyclists.

When planning a family bike ride, review your route with your children beforehand. Talk about anticipated stops along the way and how long the ride will take. Practice Alaska Biking Safety skills. It may also benefit to do a trial ride to see how far your family is able to bike without becoming fatigued.

Take Safety Precautions

Be sure your child is using a bicycle that fits their height. Riding a bike that is too large or too small reduces Alaska Biking Safety and increases the risk of injury.

Always wear a helmet when riding a bike, whether in a public or privately owned area. Accidents can happen anywhere, it’s critical to protect your child, and yourself, from injuries. It is especially important to be wearing a helmet when biking along public roadways or sidewalks.

Small children learning to balance on and ride a bike benefit from additional protective gear which augments Alaska Biking Safety. Elbow and knee pads are designed to protect arms and legs from serious injuries. Training wheels are often very helpful when learning to balance on a bike. It’s best to wait to remove training wheels until your child has the skills and balance required for safely operating a bicycle.

Be Prepared

Alaska Biking Safety includes energy and proper hydration. Remember to bring water and snacks on long bike rides. It’s very important for everyone recreating during summertime in Alaska to stay hydrated and nourished. Heat stroke and other illness or injuries arising from heat and sun exposure are absolutely risks during Alaska summers. Plan to take rest breaks to avoid fatigue and refuel before continuing on long bike rides.

Part Two of a three-part Alaska Summer Safety series. See: Part One – Alaska Summer Driving Safety; and Part Three – Alaska Summer Water Safety.

Whether biking through the countryside, to and from work, or to summer activities in Alaska, practice Alaska Biking Safety. Johnson Law wishes Alaskans a safe, happy, and healthy summer.

Johnson Law has been helping Alaskans for nearly 30 years. It’s who we are. Call Johnson Law at  (907)277-3090 or use our Contact Form to discuss your Alaska accident injury case. We are here to serve you.

And while we hope you never need us… We’re here if you do. ~ Doug Johnson

Info Source: Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities

Image Source: Alaska.org

Bicycles Belong

Share the Road – Alaskan bicyclists have all the rights (and obligations) of motorists when riding their bikes on the road. You can read the rules in Alaska Administrative Code.13 AAC 02.385, which provides all the details related to “Rules of the Road” for bicyclists. Most bicyclist rules depend on roadway conditions. For example, bicyclists should ride “as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable.” Further, upon hearing a signal from a motorist traveling in the same direction, bicyclists are to give way as far to the right “as is reasonable” under 13 AAC 02.400.

Auto Driver Responsibilities

Drivers of motor vehicles also have a duties to Share the Road with cyclists They must drive in a manner that avoids unjustifiable risks of harm. This means motorists are expected to exercise the standard of care a reasonable person would observe in the same situation. Evidence of a lack of due care include the following situations:

• Causing accidents;
• Forcing evasive accident to avoid an accident; or
• Compelling another motorist or bicyclist to slow or suddenly stop to avoid an accident

Share The Road

These are steps an Alaskan driver can take to Share the Road and reduce incidents of hurting a cyclist:

• Stay alert, constantly scan the roadway, including the shoulder, looking for bicyclists;
• Anticipate bicyclists just around the corner;
• Provide at least three feet of space between you and a bicyclist when passing;
• Wait until the traffic lane next to you is clear (regardless of whether it is a lane of traffic going the same way as you are going, or the opposite way) before passing a bicyclist; and
• Be patient – bicyclists are just as entitled as you are to be on the roadway.

Alaskan law holds people accountable for hurting others – when common sense could have avoided a wreck. It’s not a matter of punishment … rather, it’s a matter of the world being a better place when people are held fully accountable for their actions. We all know if we don’t hold people accountable for hurting others, they will continue to drive and bike irresponsibly. May is National Bike Month and a beautiful time of year, especially in Alaska. Enjoy the scenery, ride safely, drive safely and Share the Road.

Please call Johnson Law to discuss your motor vehicle / bicycle case: (907)277-3090 or use our online contact form.

Johnson Law has been helping Alaskans for nearly 30 years. It’s who we are.

And while we hope you never need us… We’re here if you do. ~ Doug Johnson

Sources: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; DOT Alaska; Alaska State Legislature

Image Source: Anchorage Daily News (Bill Roth / ADN)

Bicycling increases well-being by decreasing stress, boosting brainpower, and improving physical health. The League of American Bicyclists promotes safe streets, uniting communities, and creating a healthier planet with more happy people. National Bike Month focuses on the mental and physical benefits of bicycles.

During May, explore your community while biking with friends and family. Share your experiences using #BikesUnite and #NationalBikeMonth.

Biking Safety And Maintenance

Enjoy a safer National Bike Month. Check brakes, tire pressure, reflectors, seat position and stability, and chain durability and placement before kicking off. Wear protective gear, such as a helmet, every time you ride. Children should wear appropriate clothing along with padding. Make sure socks, pant sleeves, and shoe laces aren’t at risk for catching in the peddles, chain, or spokes.

Bicycle Safety is serious. Ensure your family is well informed before going on a bicycle ride. Review rules of the road and general bicycling etiquette with children before they leave the driveway.

Celebrate National Bike Month

Mild weather paired with clear sidewalks and roadways create the ideal environment for riding bicycles. Take a bicycle ride and share what you enjoy most on social media.

Typically, Bike to Work Week and Bike to Work Day are held during National Bike Month. This year, Bike to Work Week is May 12 through 18, 2025. Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 16, 2025.

The National Center for Safe Routes to School hosts Bike to School Day, this year on May 7, 2025. Check out how to participate in Bike to School Day and National Bike Month events this year.

If you participate in biking activities this year and become injured while biking due to someone else’s negligence, it is important to hold those liable accountable. Not only is it the right thing to do, it also creates safer roads for everyone.

May is National Bike Month and a beautiful time of year, especially in Alaska. Enjoy the scenery, ride safely, drive safely and Share the Road.

If you are a cyclist hit by a car in Alaska, prioritize safety and follow these steps: check for injuries, call 911, and get medical attention. If possible, exchange information with the automobile driver and witnesses and document the scene. After receiving the police report consider consulting with an Alaska Personal Injury Attorney to understand your legal options. 

Johnson Law has been helping Alaskans for nearly 30 years. It’s who we are.

And while we hope you never need us… We’re here if you do. ~ Doug Johnson

Sources: NHTSA; League of American Bicyclists; Walk, Bike and Roll

Image Source: Alaska DOT&PF – Photo by Julius Adolfsson