AAA’s Back-To-School Safety List: Part One

Sep 2, 2016

In 1946, AAA created the “School’s Open – Drive Carefully” campaign to promote driver awareness and child safety during back-to-school season. 70 years later, it is more important than ever, with 55 million children heading back to school this fall, and 13% of those children walking and riding their bikes to school. Over the past ten years, one in four child pedestrian fatalities have occurred during the hours of 3 PM and 7 PM, which are prime after-school hours. This year, AAA has released a list of six safety tips help you drive safer and protect school kids on and off the road. The first three tips are available below!

1.) Slow Down – If you are driving through a school zone, expect to hit the brakes and slow down at least 10 MPH. While it may seem unnecessary, the fact is that you are two-thirds more likely to severely injure and even kill a pedestrian that you hit if you are driving at 35 MPH as opposed to 25 MPH. Obey the school zone speed limit during the requested hours.

2.) Stop Completely – Many people see nothing wrong with performing a “rolling stop” and not stopping completely at the red octagon. It may seem harmless, especially if you’re in a hurry and there’s no one around, but performing this act in a neighborhood or school zone is extremely hazardous. Always come to a complete stop and check your surrounds for children on sidewalks or in crosswalks before you take off again.

3.) Eliminate Distractions – Every driver is guilty of distracted driving at one point or another, but during back-to-school season it’s especially important to cut down on distractions such as eating or cell-phone use while driving. Even if your eyes leave the road for two seconds, you can more than double your chance of crashing. And with children’s’ unpredictable behavior, they could easily fall victim to this.

Our blog next week will feature that final three AAA recommendations which include reversing, bicycles, and teenagers!

“AAA Exchange.” School’s Open – Drive Carefully. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Aug. 2016. <http://exchange.aaa.com/safety/child-safety/schools-open-drive-carefully/#.V74NvJMrJTZ>.