HILLSBOROUGH: Be careful in fall driving season

   It’s back to school this week, which means students are walking, riding bikes or standing on corners waiting for school buses.
   Many kids will be so excited about seeing old friends and modeling their new school clothes that they won’t be paying attention to the traffic around them.
   That’s why it’s important for all of us to SLOW DOWN and proceed carefully around school zones and neighborhood bus stops. Extra caution is particularly needed during the first week of school when excitement and distractions abound.
   At this time of year, a review of the rules of the road seems in order. The law requires all drivers to stop at least 25 feet from a school bus that has activated its flashing lights to load or discharge passengers — even if the bus is traveling in the opposite direction. Passing a stopped school bus endangers the lives of children and also risks a $100 fine and 15 days in jail for the driver.
   Also remember that pedestrians have the right of way in crosswalks.
   Perhaps you also have recognized a much heavier traffic pattern in your morning commute. Vacations are over, and “normal” routines are back in swing. That alone should call for more planning and caution: Leave earlier in the morning, be alert to other drivers making erratic movements on the road and don’t try to eat breakfast or finish completing your personal public appearance while moving along the highway.
   We’ll also soon be at the season — aptly called “fall” — when leaves drop from trees and tumble to the ground. Remember, when they get wet and cover the pavement, they are as slippery as ice. It’s another reason to sharpen your senses to your surroundings.
   And we’re getting close to “squinting time,” those few weeks when the rising or setting sun as it nears the horizon seriously impairs our vision. Use your visor and wear sunglasses.The goal should be for us all to work together and pay attention — especially during these first few days and weeks of school — to provide the safest streets and roads as possible.