It is more important than ever for drivers to slow down and pay attention when kids are present.  Especially before and after school.

Over the last decade, more than a quarter of child pedestrian injuries and fatalities in the United States have occurred between the afterschool hours of 3 and 7 pm.  The National Safety Council and AAA recommend the following safety tips to help reduce child pedestrian injuries and fatalities.

Pedestrian Safety

• Drivers should always drive slowly in and around school areas.  Some school zones have posted speed limits, but even if there are no signs, motorists should go no faster than 25 mph to leave more time to react.
• Don’t block crosswalks when stopped at a red light or waiting to make a turn, forcing pedestrians to go around you.  This could put them in the path of moving traffic.
• Always stop for a school patrol officer or crossing guard holding up a stop sign.
• Don’t honk or rev your engine to scare a pedestrian, even if you have the right of way.   And NEVER pass a vehicle stopped for a pedestrian.

 School Bus Safety

• When driving behind a school bus, allow a greater following distance than if you were driving behind a car.  You will have more time to stop once the yellow lights start flashing, which indicate the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children.
• It is illegal in all 50 states to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children.   If the yellow or red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended, traffic must stop.  Drivers must wait for as long as the lights are flashing.
• Even when school zone lights aren’t flashing, watch for children, particularly in the morning or mid-afternoon around school arrival and dismissal times.  Be alert as you back out of your driveway or drive through a neighborhood, school zone or bus stop.  Children are often unpredictable, and they tend to ignore hazards and take risks.

Sharing the Road with Bicycles

Bikes can be hard to see.  On most roads, bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as vehicles.   Children riding bikes can create special problems for drivers because they usually cannot properly judge traffic conditions.  The most common cause of collision is a driver turning left in front of a cyclist.

• If you are turning left and a bicyclist is approaching in the opposite direction, wait for the rider to pass.
• When turning right and a bicyclist is approaching from behind on the right, let the rider go through the intersection first, and always use your turn signals.
• Watch for bike riders turning in front of you without looking or signaling; children especially have a tendency to do this.
• When passing a bicyclist, proceed in the same direction slowly, and leave 3 feet between your car and the cyclist.
• Always check your side mirrors before opening your door.  Watch for bikes coming from driveways or behind parked cars.

 By using a little extra care and caution, drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists can exist together safely in school zones.