BATON ROUGE - Summer vacation is a time when an increased number of children are outside playing in neighborhoods around the capital area, and officials with Waste Management Services are urging parents to make sure their children understand the importance of caution around garbage trucks.

In a Thursday morning news release, the Director of Waste Management Gulf Coast Area Safety, Tony Franco, said, "Children are fascinated by our trucks and how they work, and we want to make sure that excitement does not lead to harm. In that spirit of ‘SAFETY FIRST,’ we highly recommended that parents or adult guardians accompany small children who want to wave or look at the garbage truck.”

The news release went on to offer a few suggestions related to summer safety and waste management trucks. These precautions are listed below.

-Learn the schedule of when service vehicles are in the area. Waste and recycling trucks, postal vehicles and other package delivery services keep regular schedules within each neighborhood.

-Keep a safe distance from the truck - at least 15 feet. Never climb on the truck. Do not play or stand in or around waste and recycling bins or cans, since you may not know when the truck is coming to empty them.

-Do not attempt or allow children to help with loading any materials into the truck and do not stand behind the truck while it is being loaded. In addition to moving truck parts, debris can come out of the truck when its contents are being compacted.

-Vehicles like Waste Management trucks make frequent stops and often back up, so don’t follow the truck closely while walking, running, biking or skating. Stay alert and listen for the back-up alarm with “beep-beep-beep” sounds.

-There are several areas where the visibility can be restricted for the driver. If you cannot see the driver’s eyes, they may not see you.

-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.

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