Keep those eyes on the road – please. With school back in session, kiddies are crossing streets in numbers not seen since last spring.
Although crossing guards and flashing lights are meant to protect those tiny pedestrians, safe driving starts with the person behind the steering wheel. Those are the people who drive faster the speed limit in school zones, roll through stop signs near schools and pass beside stopped school buses while children are boarding.
That’s not to say America doesn’t have safe drivers. There are lots of them. But you might be surprised how many drive a little too carelessly while children are making their morning and afternoon treks to school.
So Collision has some tips – both for children and for parents – to keep kids safe on the way to school. Take a look:
Data/Statistics
- Children are nearly eight times safer riding a school bus than riding with their own parents or peers, according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study. The fatality rate for children traveling in buses is 0.2 deaths per 100 million miles, compared with 1.5 for cars.
- Two-thirds of drivers exceeded the posted speed limit in school zones during the 30 minutes before and after school, according to a 1999 survey by the national Safe Kids campaign.
- A national observational study found that motorists routinely violated stop sign rules in school zones located in residential neighborhoods. Forty-five percent of motorists didn’t come to a complete stop, 37 percent rolled through the intersection and 7 percent didn’t slow down, according to the 2004 report.
- School buses, or large vans acting as school buses, killed 130 school-age children between 2000 and 2009, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Most of those deaths happened between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. On average nine children die each year while riding in buses, while 13 children die as pedestrians.
Tips/Awareness
- Slow down and stay alert in residential neighborhoods and school zones. It could save you a ticket. And it could save someone’s life.
- Keep a lookout for children at intersections, especially before and after school. This is particularly true in places where there isn’t a crossing guard.
- Never pass a school bus when its red lights are flashing. Children are taught to cross the street in front of the bus.
- Reduce distractions inside your vehicle so you can concentrate on the road. This may include putting down your cell phone, turning down the radio or searching for a CD in areas where there may be children.
- Look both ways before crossing the street. Ideally, children should cross with an adult until they are at least 10 years old.
- Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. If possible, plan a route to school where a crossing guard is present.
- Never run out into the street or cross between parked cars.
- If you have to cross the street in front of the bus, walk to a point at least 10 feet ahead of the bus before you cross. Be sure that the bus driver can see you. Children should avoid bending down to tie their shoes or pick up an object while crossing, which could put them at risk of not being seen.
Technology/Gadgets
Backup camera
Motorists hit an average of 50 children every week in America’s driveways and parking lots. In many cases, those crashes are caused by poor visibility. A backup camera can improve that visibility significantly. Collision Guard found a camera for $59.99 through Advance Auto Parts.
The latest gadgets are available here:
Last Laugh
