Sunrise slips a minute or two later every morning this time of year. It continues until your children eventually get to the bus stop before the sun rises. 

This time is one of the most dangerous times for your children, but there are ways to help keep your children safe.

What you can do

For parents:

• Use reflective gear on your children’s backpack, not just their jacket. After all, kids take coats off. 
• Move the waiting spot back. Take 10 giant steps from the road’s edge to play it extra safe. Tell your children to wait there until the bus stops completely and the driver signals.
• Do not wear earbuds, and put your phone away at the bus stop. AAA says that distracted walking is as dangerous as distracted driving.
• Walk it once in the dark so you can spot blind corners. Be familiar with the area around the bus stop.
• Kids under 10 shouldn't wait alone. They should always have a parent or at least an older sibling to ensure safety.

For drivers:

• Clean the windshield. If you have a dirty windshield, it can scatter sunlight at eye level and make it hard to see.
• Keep polarized sunglasses in the car now. Don’t wait until December.
• Driving in glare. Leave extra distance, and maintain a safe speed. 
• Slow down on residential streets. Caution is key, even before you see any children.

Why is it so dangerous?

The answer is twofold. 

The most obvious reason is that the sun rises later each day. The amount it changes may surprise you. Below are graphs showing sunrise times for three major cities on the first of each month between September and January: Atlanta, New York and Chicago. 

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The further north you go, the more dramatic the change in sunrise, but I know you all are wondering what that blip is on the graph of the sunrise line. That is the beginning of daylight saving time, which takes place on Nov. 1. That moves the sunrise earlier again, which actually helps minimize how long children are in the dark. But the mornings continue to get darker each day. 

The other danger comes after the sun starts to rise. This is known as sun glare, and it can be very dangerous for pedestrians. 

(MORE: The dangers of sun glare)

If you have ever driven in morning sun glare, you know how tough it is. The sun is at a low angle in the sky, so it is shining right in the face of drivers. This makes it very difficult to see and can cause delayed reactions that can mean risks for children at bus stops. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, has found that one of the most dangerous times for school-age pedestrians is the window of time spent waiting for the bus.

And it isn’t just that kids can get hit by cars ignoring a stopped school bus stop sign. Some kids are even hit by the bus themselves. Bus drivers sit high and must also contend with blind corners. When it is dark, these are risks. This is why the “take 10 giant steps back” rule is recommended.