AAA Reminds Drivers, Families to Use Caution as Kids Return to School

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

GoLocalProv Lifestyle Team

PHOTO: Lynn Friedman/Flickr Commons

With the new school year set to begin, AAA Northeast is reminding drivers and families to use extra caution as kids walk and ride in areas where they were not seen over the summer.

AAA offers the following tips to drivers to keep children safe:

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.
Come to a complete stop. Research shows more than one-third of drivers roll through stop signs in school zones or neighborhoods.
Look for clues, such as AAA School Safety Patrollers, crossing guards, and school zone signs that indicate children are in the area.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan between parked cars; look for shadows on the ground. Since children can be quick crossing roadways unexpectedly or emerging suddenly between parked cars, understand that taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles your chances of colliding with another car or pedestrian.

On the other hand, parents and guardians should teach school-aged children to:

Cross at corners, not in mid-block. Use crosswalks if they’re available.
Use your ‘eagle’ eyes: look left, right, then left again before crossing streets.
Right on reds can be dangerous; watch for turning vehicles when crossing at corners.
Eliminate electronics such as headphones and cellphones when crossing streets.