08/08/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/08/2024 14:48
Students in Southern California are returning to classes soon on foot, bicycles, as well as in cars and school buses. To prevent traffic-related injuries and fatalities to students, The Auto Club reminds drivers to slow down and stay alert in and around school zones as well as in other areas where children might be present. Crashes are one of the leading causes of death for school-aged children. The afternoon hours are particularly dangerous. Nearly one-third of child pedestrian fatalities occur between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. AAA's School's Open - Drive Carefully! awareness campaign began in 1946 to help reduce child pedestrian fatalities and injuries. Today, this effort is more important than ever due to the prevalence of drivers with smartphones and the increase in distracted driving on our roads.
"School-aged children will soon be walking and biking to and from campuses, so drivers should prepare for them," said Senior Public Affairs Specialist Gianella Ghiglino, "Back to school means back to safety-let's stay alert, be prepared, and watch out for each other," said Ghiglino.
Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety
In 2023, there were 1,159 pedestrians and bicyclists who were killed in motor vehicle crashes on California roads. Another 3,700 pedestrians and bicyclists were seriously injured across the state last year in crashes with vehicles.
Kids are particularly vulnerable because they are small and less visible to drivers, do not always make safe decisions near streets, and can easily be distracted when around other kids. Children are not adults, so it is up to drivers to compensate for these differences.
Distracted Driving
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,308 people died in distracted-related crashes in the U.S. in 2022. That is an average of nine people killed each day in crashes that are preventable. In California alone in 2023, there were 100 deaths and 601 serious injuries due to distracted driving related crashes. Distracted driving is especially dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists. Non-drivers account for nearly one in five distracted driving deaths. The true numbers of deaths and injuries due to distraction are much higher though because distracted driving is often underreported or difficult to determine as the cause of a crash.
Speeding
According to the lates data from NHTSA, speeding accounts for nearly one-third of all traffic fatalities nationwide. In 2023, 887 people were killed and 4,279 were seriously injured in California due to crashes where the primary cause was speeding.
Speeding endangers not only the life of the driver, but everyone on the road around them. Drivers should obey speed limits, and adjust speed based on road conditions, such as during bad weather.
To prevent injuries and deaths this school year, The Auto Club reminds drivers to:
Parents and guardians should also: