Back to School Safety

ZANESVILLE, Oh – With back to school just around the corner, Ohio AAA wants to ensure everyone, especially student pedestrians stay safe as they return from summer break!

The start of the new school year brings increased traffic not just from cars and buses, but from kids walking and biking to and from school. 

AAA Spokesperson Kimberly Schwind says with a jump in pedestrian fatalities last year, safety on the road this time of year is especially important. 

“We encourage drivers to understand that when school’s open you have to drive carefully. Things like slowing down, eliminating those distractions, making sure that you’re obeying those school zone speed limits and all the signs, the stop signs, the signals. Planning ahead, giving yourself plenty of extra time in the morning and afternoon to get where you’re going, buckling up and making sure that if you are transporting children that they’re in the proper booster or car seat,” she said.

Schwind says afternoon hours tend to be the deadliest for young pedestrians, especially between 3 and 4 PM and encourages you to be vigilant.  

She also recommends parents talk with their children and even walk the route they’ll be taking if they plan to walk to school, making sure to familiarize them with the route to make sure they understand where they’re going. She says to have them walk in a group or with adults if possible and make sure tp talk with them about traffic safety.

“It’s up to everybody. It’s up to the parents. The students that are going to and from school, and the drivers, to all work together to make sure that we are working to reduce these crashes and fatalities. Nobody wants to see these things happen. Nobody wants a child to be struck and injured or killed. So we really need to make sure that every year, we are reminding ourselves and reminding everybody of the safety measures to make sure that everybody stays safe,” Schwind said.

Schwind also reminds drivers to heed school bus stop signs and always stop for them. And for drivers going the opposite direction, she says if the road is less than 4 lanes are also required to stop.

AAA reminds everyone to just be patient, plan ahead, watch out for one another and help do your part to make this a safe school year for everyone! More safety tips can be found at: http://OHIO.AAA.COM/TRAFFIC-SAFETY/LP/SCHOOLS-OPEN.HTML