National School Safety Month Spotlights Traffic-Related Accidents
While the months of June-October are known as the deadliest period for roadside collisions due to holiday weekends and travel, the school year brings high populations of children and adult pedestrians to school zones. Startlingly, this adds to the number of collisions and driving mistakes come September. The Transportation Research Board found that over 100 children are killed by auto accidents while walking to or from school and 25,000 more are injured from accidents in school zones.
Whether from high population density, not yielding to pedestrians, or speeding in a school zone, these collisions are preventable. Deratany & Kosner represents all victims of car collisions. These motor vehicle accidents are physically and emotionally traumatizing especially when dealing with youth pedestrians. We’d like to highlight some of the causes for these accidents to help drivers and pedestrians stay safe while the school year begins.
- 7% of drivers picking up or dropping off children on the way to school will be less reactive as they tune out and go into “autopilot” mode when driving a familiar path.
- On average, 1 in 6 drivers is distracted inside school zones by their smartphones, looking for their children, or by the number of pedestrians in the area.
- 1 in 4 high school students are distracted pedestrians, either due to headphone usage, pedestrian density, or their smartphones.
When entering a school zone, defensive driving is paramount. Reducing your vehicle’s speed, keeping a distraction-free zone in your car, and being aware of the constantly changing surroundings as students get out of school are just a few ways to avoid these devastating and even deadly collisions.
School zone accidents are preventable, and the fatality number of children in school zones is far too high. Stay safe – and contact us today if you or your loved one has been victimized in an auto accident.