Soon the streets will be alive with students heading back to school for the fall, more than 55 million children across the United States. Kids, bicyclists and pedestrians will be headed to a crosswalk or exiting a school bus or car near you. Did you know speed limits in school zones help save lives? A pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 25mph is two-thirds less likely to be killed compared to a vehicle traveling just 10mph faster.
Our friends from the AAA reminds drivers to be especially vigilant for pedestrians during – – before and after school hours. In the last decade, more than one-fourth of child pedestrian fatalities occurred after school – between the hours of 3 to 7 PM. “More than 1,200 children lost their lives during these after-school hours between 2000 and 2010,” cautioned AAA Kansas spokesman, Jim Hanni.
AAA offers six ways to keep kids safe this school year:
- Slow down. Speed limits in school zones are reduced for a reason. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 25 mph is nearly two-thirds less likely to be killed compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling just 10 mph faster.
- Eliminate distractions. Children often cross the road unexpectedly and may emerge suddenly between two parked cars. Research shows that taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles your chances of crashing.
- Reverse responsibly. Every vehicle has blind spots. Check for children on the sidewalk, driveway and around your vehicle before slowly backing up. Teach your children to never play in, under or around vehicles—even those that are parked.
- Talk to your teen. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States, and more than one in four fatal crashes involving teen drivers occur during the after-school hours of 3 to 7 p.m.
- Come to a complete stop. Research shows that more than one third of drivers roll through stop signs in school zones or neighborhoods. Always come to a complete stop, checking carefully for children on sidewalks and in crosswalks before proceeding.
- Watch for bicycles. Children on bikes are often inexperienced, unsteady and unpredictable. Slow down and allow at least three feet of passing distance between your vehicle and the bicycle. If your child rides a bicycle to school, require that they wear a properly-fitted bicycle helmet on every ride.
For more tips on how to get your students and yourself ready for the school year, visit Teen Driving, Bicycle Safety.