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With the new school year upon us, that means before long, the weather will turn cooler -- and the days will become shorter.

Kids who walk to and from school may find themselves doing so in low-light situations. That's why Methodist Health System is offering free safety lights to students.

Dr. Ketan Trivedi at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center says it's an invaluable tool for kids walking to and from school.

"In the dark, it's very visible," Dr. Trivedi says. "It's a flashing red light, so it's something you can't really miss. You know that there's something there, somebody there moving."

The light is designed to clip onto a backpack. If a child doesn't carry a backpack, the light can be clipped onto the back shirt collar or onto a rear pants pocket.

Parents like Vandella Menifee say the lights are a great safety benefit.

"A lot of the (kids) don't have the backpacks that have the reflectors on them," Menifee says. "So I think that having this type of device attached to their backpacks or their bikes will enable drivers to see them better."

Vandella's son, Richard, agrees. When he was asked whether he would be using one, he said the real question is why kids would not wear one in the first place.

"It's a safety hazard if you don't have any lights on in the morning, because there's always that one driver texting and driving, and they won't be able to see in time, and they would get run over," Richard says.

If you'd like to get a safety light for your child, click here.

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