Growing up, our family had a tradition of walking to school on the first day. Our house was roughly one mile away from our elementary school (which seemed like 100 miles as a school kid). We would wake up early, put on our new school clothes, take some first day of school pictures, then begin our trek. Even though the road seemed unending and the pace was slow, I look back on this tradition with fond nostalgia.
Many families have similar traditions, and many school children regularly walk to school because of their home’s proximity to the school. It is essential to remember to always drive carefully in a school zone. How terrible my memories would be if there were a tragic pedestrian accident affecting me or someone in my family. Back to school season is upon us. With various districts across Utah beginning school already, it is important to think about back to school safety, especially getting to and from school.
The National Safety Council gives some helpful tips for driving in school zones for anyone driving near a school zone. We want to echo them here and encourage you to consider implementing them.
Parents Dropping off Kids
Each school is usually different on their procedures for picking up and dropping off students. However, some universal rules apply:
- Never double park. It reduces visibility for other vehicles and children who are being dropped off.
- Don’t drop off the children on the opposite side of the street from the school.
- Whenever possible, implement a carpool system to help reduce the number of vehicles in the school zones.
Riding Alongside a School Bus
Large vehicles are easy to spot but can be a challenge when trying to navigate a closed space like a school loading zone.
- Never pass a bus when it has its stop sign extended. Passing a bus when it has its lights flashing is not only a violation of the law, it is hazardous for the kids exiting the bus.
- Don’t pass the bus if you are on an undivided road.
- Be cautious of the ten-foot area surrounding the bus. You never know when a child will run out from behind the bus. Children are often unpredictable around traffic.
Watch Out of Young Pedestrians
The National Safety Council reports that most of the children who are killed in a bus-related incident are four to seven years old and are walking near the bus. They are usually either hit by the bus or by a vehicle which is illegally passing the bus.
- Never block the crosswalk when you are stopped at a red light or stop sign. Whenever you force pedestrians to go around you, this could endanger them by placing them in the path of moving traffic.
- Whenever you are in a school zone, be watchful for pedestrians, especially when flashers are blinking, but even if the flashers are not flashing.
- Always stop for crossing guards or school patrol officers holding stop signs, flags, or other materials indicating traffic should stop.
- Do not honk to get a pedestrian to move, even when you have the right-of-way.
- Don’t pass vehicles which are stopped for pedestrians.
Ultimately, the goal of these tips is to help keep school children (and all pedestrians) safe when trying to get to school. We have helped thousands of clients who were crossing the street when they were unexpectedly hit by a car. We have seen the devastation and heartache such accidents can cause. We want to avoid any of these types of accidents and help keep everyone safe.
As always, if you or someone you love has been injured in a pedestrian accident, contact The Advocates Law Firm. We are here for you. You deserve an Advocate!