JAMESTOWN (Erie News Now) – As students head back to class, AAA is reminding drivers to be careful when traveling through school zones or near buses.
A pedestrian hit by a vehicle traveling at 20 mph is about two-thirds less likely to be killed in comparison to a person hit by a vehicle traveling at 30 mph, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. About one of five children 14 and younger who die in traffic crashes are pedestrians.
AAA offers the following advice for drivers in school zones:
- Plan ahead. Leave early for your destination and build in extra time for congestion. This will cut down on stress from running late.
- Ditch distractions. Research shows that taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles the chances of crashing.
- Stay alert. Don’t rush into and out of driveways. Expect pedestrians on the sidewalk, especially around schools and in neighborhoods.
- Brake for buses. It may be tempting to drive around a stopped school bus; not only is it dangerous – it’s against the law.
- Watch for bikes. Children on bicycles are often unpredictable, so expect the unexpected. Slow down and allow at least four feet of passing distance between your vehicle and bicyclists.
- Look for AAA School Safety Patrollers. With more than 600,000 AAA School Safety Patrollers at 31,000 schools across the country, they’re a sure sign that you’re approaching a school zone.
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