Whether children — or their parents — are ready for it, summer vacation will be coming to an end soon.

Hours spent playing outside with friends or laying around the house watching Netflix will turn into days spent learning the ABCs and 123s, as youth head back to school in the fall.

Though students may be preoccupied cramming in the rest of their summer reading lists and making sure they have a fresh wardrobe to show off to classmates, everyone — parent and children alike — all have an assignment to finish before the morning bell rings next month: brushing up on the rules of the road.

Whether you are driving your child or getting him or her ready to catch the bus in the morning, safety is a paramount concern during the morning rush to school.

According to the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department, between 2006 and 2015, 301 school-age children died in school-transportation-related crashes in the U.S. Of those, 102 were pedestrians and eight were cyclists, according to the most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

With that data in mind, public safety officials are urging motorists to pay special attention to their surroundings when children return to class this fall.

The sheriff’s department offers the following tips to make sure children make it back to school safely next month:

If you drive your children to school:

• Know your district’s instructions and follow the rules to make drop-off and pick-up smooth and stress free.

• Be alert and drive defensively. Always anticipate the possibility of a child darting out in front of you.

• Slow down and pay attention, especially in school zones. Watch out for children walking, biking and waiting at bus stops.

• Remember buses make frequent stops. It’s against the law to pass a school bus while it’s stopped on the roadway picking up or dropping off students.

• When turning at an intersection, be sure to yield to pedestrians and cyclists.

If you’re a student riding the bus:

• Stay out of the street while waiting for the bus and allow the bus to come to a complete stop before approaching the bus from the curb.

• Make sure you remain in clear view of the bus driver. Never walk behind the bus.

• Look both ways before getting on and off the bus. When you get off the bus, look both ways and move immediately onto the sidewalk and out of traffic.

If you’re a student walking or biking to school:

• Make sure to have some type of reflective equipment/material on your bike, backpack or clothing. Be seen — be safe!

• Walk on sidewalks where available and always cross at intersections.

• Bike riders should ride on the right, in the same direction as traffic, and use appropriate hand signals. Bicyclists should also respect traffic lights and stop signs.

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of General Manager Ambrosia Neldon and editors Scott Novak and Ted Yoakum.