The first day of school for students in Brookhaven and across Lincoln County is Friday. Teachers and staff are already back on campuses, getting ready for the mass influx of students at the end of the week.

Whether you have school-age children in your home or school is no longer a consideration for you, we all need to be aware of the changes that may affect our routines.

School bus routes will start up again, meaning morning commuters may need to leave earlier in order to reach their jobs on time. Drivers also need to be much more aware of the buses as they stop frequently to load and unload children in the mornings and afternoons.

Watch for children crossing the road. Don’t ever pass a stopped school bus, and demonstrate patrience here. Slow down and pay attention to school zones.

Friday nights will soon be filled with football game traffic.

We could go on. Families with students understand all the changes that come about when the school year starts up again — everyone’s schedule gets rearranged.

But those of us who no longer are getting children off to school, or never did, need to be reminded to perk up and pay attention.

Reduce distractions as you drive, from eating to adjusting the radio to the ultimate distraction of texting or playing on a cell phone. Does anyone really need a reminder of how dangerous that can be?

Let’s all do our part to keep the upcoming school year as safe as can be by simply paying attention.

It’s the least we can do.