Over 55 million children in the United States are headed back to school and a significant number of these students will be walking, biking, or driving to school for the very first time. No matter what the transportation there are a number of potential dangers your children may face before they ever make it to their first class. Here are the top ten safety reminders that parents and motorists should keep in mind as students head back to school once again:
1. Let your children take the school bus! According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, children are 13 times safer than riding in a school bus than they are in a passenger vehicle and 10 times safer than if they to walk to school.
2. Watch carefully for young pedestrians. Children are not nearly as visible and are much less predictable than average pedestrians. Make sure you are alert not only in school zones, but also around playgrounds, parks, and in residential neighbourhoods. Nearly one in four traffic deaths among children aged 14 and younger are pedestrian deaths. (www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars)
3. Drive cautiously around young cyclists. Child cyclists are more likely to make erratic movements when riding. Children under the age of 15 represented 9% of all cyclists killed and 20% of all cyclists injured in car accidents in 2012. Make sure you leave a distance of no less than three feet when passing a cyclist until you have safely passed. (NHTSA)
4. Give yourself extra travel time in the mornings! According to the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, up to 30% of morning traffic can be generated by parents driving their children to school, so give yourself more time in the morning until you can determine how the increased traffic will impact your daily routine. Rushed drivers are more likely to make risky manoeuvres, which can create a dangerous environment for younger pedestrians and motorists. (Safe Routes to School National Partnership)
5. Drive with and educate your children when they get their license. Sixteen year old teens are more than twice as likely to have a crash than drivers who are 18 to 19 years of age. Giving your children the tools to be a safe and courteous driver can save not only their life but the lives of others on the road.
6. Adjust your speed in school zones AND any congested pedestrian areas. Pedestrians hit by a car at 18 miles an hour are 8 times more likely to survive than someone hit by a car at 31 miles an hour. (Young Drivers)
7. Remember to watch for of youth pedestrians AFTER school. With sports teams and extracurricular activities, students are traveling home at different hours of the afternoon and evening. The NHTSA found that 42% of pedestrian fatalities among children 15 and younger occurred between 4 pm and 8 pm – more than any other period throughout the day. (NHTSA)
8. Teach your children to assume drivers are distracted! A 2009 study showed that one in six motorists driving through school zones are distracted driving. Given the significant danger these drivers pose (studies have found distracted driving to be as dangerous as drunk driving!), ensure that cares are yielding or stopped at appropriate areas BEFORE attempting to cross the street and look both ways before entering intersections. (Safe Kids Worldwide)
9. Not all walking routes are created equal. If you are going to allow your child to walk to and from school, test multiple routes and use the NHTSA checklist for choosing safer biking and walking routes. In 2011, approximately 11,000 pedestrians aged 14 and younger were injured on the road. Do not let your child become a statistic. (10 characteristics of a safe route)
10. Reinforce the dangers of jaywalking and the importance of using crosswalk signals. While intersections offer numerous opportunities for injuries and accidents, a study featured in Pediatrics journal found that 82% of child pedestrian deaths occurred at non-intersection locations. (Pediatrics)
Although this list outlines a number of the safety precautions motorists should take to ensure that students get back to school safely, it is by no means comprehensive. There are number of risky behaviors that put pedestrians and motorists at risk and a number of different solutions for addressing them. Visit the blog section at DMV.com to learn more about risky driving behaviors and how to eliminate them.