Waste Management drivers advise parents to teach kids “safety first” while playing outside this summer

Long summer days mean more time playing outside for San Diego children. Waste Management of San Diego is encouraging parents to talk with their kids about being safe while playing outside and to watch for the company’s waste and recycling trucks from a safe distance.

“Summer is a great time to be a kid in San Diego and with many children spending more time outside, ensuring their safety is a top priority for drivers like me,” said Carlos Perez driver of Waste Management of San Diego. “Children can be especially curious about our trucks and are always tempted to take a closer look when the trucks are stopped. But, the trucks have many moving parts that could begin moving again at any moment so we encourage everyone to watch from a distance.”

The drivers at Waste Management have created a list of recommendations for staying safe around service vehicles:

• Garbage trucks, recycling vehicles, postal vehicles and other package delivery services keep regular schedules within each neighborhood, so learn which days these vehicles will be in your area.

• It takes service vehicles about twice as long to stop as a passenger car, so never cut in front of or stop suddenly in front of one. Always keep a safe distance from a truck.

• Vehicles like Waste Management trucks make frequent stops and often back up, so don’t follow the truck closely on a bike, skateboard, roller skates or rollerblades.

• Every Waste Management truck is equipped with a back-up alarm. Whether you are walking or driving near one of our trucks, be sure to move out of the way if you hear this sound or see the white back-up lights.

• Keep children and pets at a safe distance from the truck. Never get near or climb on the truck and do not play or stand in trash bins or cans, since you may not know when the truck is coming to empty them. Always keep portable basketball hoops away from trash bins or cans, and never on the street.

• Do not attempt or allow children to help with loading any garbage into the truck. In addition to moving truck parts, debris can fall out of the truck when its contents are being compressed.

• Be mindful of smartphone use. Don’t text or use earplugs while crossing streets.

—Waste Management Inc., is based in Houston, Texas, and the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery and disposal services. It is also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. To learn more about Waste Management, visit wm.com o thinkgreen.com.