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Students across the country are returning to classes soon on foot, bicycles, as well as in cars and school buses. To prevent traffic-related injuries and fatalities to students, AAA Alabama reminds drivers to slow down and stay alert in and around school zones as well as in other areas where children might be present. Crashes are one of the leading causes of death for school-aged children. The afternoon hours are particularly dangerous. Nearly one-third of child pedestrian fatalities occur between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Kids are particularly vulnerable because they are small and less visible to drivers, don’t always make safe decisions near streets, and can be easily distracted when around other kids. Children are not adults, so it is up to drivers to compensate for these differences. AAA’s School’s Open – Drive Carefully! awareness campaign began in 1946 to help reduce child pedestrian fatalities and injuries. Today, this effort is more important than ever due to the prevalence of drivers with smartphones and the increase in distracted driving on our roads.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,522 people died in distracted-related crashes in the U.S. in 2021. That’s an average of 9 people killed each day in crashes that are totally preventable. Distracted driving is especially dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists. Non-drivers account for nearly one in five distracted driving deaths. The true numbers of deaths and injuries due to distraction are likely much higher though because distracted driving is often underreported or difficult to determine as the cause of a crash.
“School-aged children will soon be going to and from campuses, so drivers should prepare for them,” said Clay Ingram, spokesperson for AAA Alabama. “If you drive distracted you are “intexticated” behind the wheel, and you could cause the same tragedies as a driver who is impaired by alcohol or drugs. So, make it a habit to put smartphones out of sight and stay alert on the road, especially in school zones, in neighborhoods, around parks, and near bus stops,” said Ingram.
To prevent injuries and deaths this school year, AAA reminds drivers to:
• Eliminate distractions and put down cell phones. Children often cross the road unexpectedly and may emerge suddenly between parked cars.
• Use the Driving Focus features on your smartphone
• Slow down. Speed limits in school zones are reduced for a reason. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling 25 mph is nearly two-thirds less likely to be killed compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling just 10 mph faster.
• Talk with teens. More than one-quarter of fatal crashes involving teen drivers occur during after-school hours,
• Fully stop at stop signs. Research shows that more than one-third of drivers roll through stop signs in school zones or on neighborhood streets. Always come to a complete stop, checking carefully for children on sidewalks and in crosswalks before continuing.
• Watch for school buses. Drivers should slow down and prepare to stop if they see yellow flashing lights which indicate the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload kids. Red flashing lights and extended stop arms means the bus has stopped and children are actively getting on or off. Drivers MUST stop and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop-arm withdraws, and the bus begins to move before they can drive again.