1) Meet with your fellow
carpoolers. Get to know your fellow carpoolers to gauge how
responsible of a driver they are. Use that time to establish some ground rules
in terms of pick-up and drop-off times so everyone is on the same page.
2) Make sure all
passengers are buckled-up. Before driving away, make sure all
adults and children in the car have a fastened seatbelt. Never let kids share a
seatbelt and never transport children in the cargo area of a pickup truck,
station wagon, or van.
3) Keep your eyes peeled.
Avoid situations where you’ll have to back up in areas where young children are
walking or playing. Also, make sure children get into their house once you drop
them off before driving away. Always pay attention to your surroundings in the
car.
4) Don’t play parent in
the car. When you are driving carpool, your most important
responsibility is driving. When children begin acting out, don’t try and solve
behavior problems while driving. If the problem is affecting your driving, pull
the vehicle over at a safe place to deal with the issue.
5) Pay attention to school
guidelines on carpool lines. All schools have different systems
in place to manage their carpool lines. Be observant of your school’s system
and abide by their speed limit and drop-off and pick-up locations and times.
