As children across the country begin heading back to school, AAA urges motorists to slow down and stay alert in neighborhoods, school zone, as well as in other areas where children might be present. Also, to be especially vigilant for pedestrians during before- and after-school hours. Children are particularly vulnerable during the afternoon hours following their school day. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 64 percent of child pedestrians killed in traffic crashes occurred during the weekday (6 a.m. Monday to 6 p.m. Friday) in 2021 (NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts). The goal is to always look out for all pedestrians on roadways everywhere.
"We are aware of the risk to children in and around school zones which is why we developed the AAA's School's Open-Drive Carefully awareness campaign to help curb unsafe driving behavior near schools," said Pat Moody, manager of public affairs for AAA Northern New England. "If motorists slow down and stay alert, they can save lives."
The AAA School's Open Drive Carefully Awareness Campaign was launched in 1946 to prevent school-related child pedestrian traffic crashes - helping kids to live fulfilling, injury-free lives. 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.
AAA offers tips to keep kids safe this school year:
- 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 out for bicycles. Children on bikes can be inexperienced, unsteady, and unpredictable. Slow down and allow at least three feet of passing distance between your vehicle and the bicycle.
- 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.
Parents and guardians should also:
- Walk school routes with young children to point out potential traffic hazards.
- Remind kids to watch the road and not their phones. Ask them not to call, text or play games until at their destination or stopped in a safe location.
- Ask students to remove headphones or turn down the volume so they can hear what’s going on around them.
- Encourage students to always watch out for cars and make eye contact with drivers before crossing a street or crosswalk to make sure the driver sees them.
- Remind kids not to play, push or shove others when they walk around traffic.
- Ensure bicyclists wear a correctly fitted helmet and securely fastened chin strap on each and every bike ride.
- Talk about school bus safety with riders including, staying five steps away from the curb, waiting until buses come to a complete stop and the driver signals for them to board first, and always look left-right-left for cars before exiting the bus and crossing the street.