As schools reopen, drivers know the drill
“School’s Open — Drive Carefully” has been the annual refrain in a back-to-school safety-awareness campaign that is now nearly 80 years old. But it’s worth repeating every September.
Driving carefully in and around school zones is crucial in the effort to ensure the safety of children, parents and school staff. School zones are areas in which there are likely to be children crossing streets, walking along sidewalks, riding bikes and meandering as only kids do. They are less aware of traffic dangers, and their presence necessitates heightened caution from drivers.
A study by Safe Kids Worldwide found that 25,000 children are injured every year in school zone accidents nationwide. The Transportation Research Board found that vehicles near schools account for 43 percent of all pedestrian accidents involving children ages 5 to 9.
And it’s no surprise that speeding is a significant factor in school-zone accidents. The risk of a pedestrian fatality increases dramatically with vehicle speed. The American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that someone on foot who is struck by a vehicle traveling 25 mph has a 25 percent chance of sustaining serious injury or dying, but that risk increases to 50 percent if the vehicle is traveling just 10 mph faster. School zones commonly have speed limits of 20 mph or less, so adhering to those limits is vital to minimize those risks.
Distracted driving is another major concern near schools. A study by the National Safety Council found that distracted drivers cause one in every four car crashes nationwide. In school zones, texting or talking on a phone or fiddling with dashboard technology can have catastrophic consequences for a child who may suddenly dart into the street or cross without warning.
School zones are most congested during drop-off and pick-up times. According to the National Center for Safe Routes to School, parents driving their children to school account for 25 percent of morning traffic. The volume increases the likelihood of accidents, particularly when drivers are in a rush.
Along with potential injuries, there are legal consequences for school-zone scofflaws, starting with hefty fines for speeding in those zones, often doubled or tripled during school hours. And here on Long Island, red-light cameras have been installed at busy intersections near schools, and more buses are being equipped with cameras to catch one of the most potentially dangerous vehicular infractions of all, passing a stopped bus with its red lights flashing — in either direction.
Whether you’ve seen “Schools Open — Drive Carefully” for dozens of years or are a new driver, common sense dictates that following that single instruction is key to helping ensure that children arrive at school safely and return home safely each day, along with the administrators, teachers and other staff to whom we entrust them.
Do your part by slowing down and keeping your eyes on the street and the crosswalks — in other words, giving school zones your undivided attention when you’re at the wheel.
