Be on the lookout for students, buses as school starts back

Some schools in Georgia have already started the 2022-2023 year, which begs the age-old question: where did summer go?

We wish we had the answer.

Local students haven’t returned to classrooms just yet. But with millions of children across the country going back to school over the coming weeks, it’s important to keep any eye out for students whether they are walking or cycling to school, riding the bus or driving themselves.

According to AAA, “Children are particularly vulnerable during the afternoon hours following their school day. Over the last decade, nearly onethird of child pedestrian fatalities occurred between 3 and 6 p.m.”

AAA offered these tips to keep children safe this school year, and these suggestions can be applied to every day driving:

• Slow down. Speed limits in school zones are reduced for a reason. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling 25 mph is nearly two-thirds less likely to be killed compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling just 10 mph faster. A difference between 25 mph and 35 mph can save a life.

• Eliminate distractions. Children often cross the road unexpectedly and may emerge suddenly between two parked cars. Research shows that taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles your chances of crashing.

• Reverse responsibly. Every vehicle has blind spots. Check for children on the sidewalk, driveway and around your vehicle before slowly backing up. Teach your children to never play in, under or around vehicles — even those that are parked.

• Talk to your teen. Car crashes are one of the leading causes of death for teens in the United States, and more than one-quarter of fatal crashes involving teen drivers occur during the after-school hours of 3 to 7 p.m.

• Come to a complete stop. Research

shows that more than one-third of drivers roll through stop signs in school zones or neighborhoods. Always come to a complete stop, checking carefully for children on sidewalks and in crosswalks before proceeding.

• Watch for bicycles. Children on bicycles are often inexperienced, unsteady and unpredictable. Slow down and allow at least three feet of passing distance between your vehicle and the bicycle. If your child rides a bicycle to school, require that they wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet on every ride.

“If parents and other driver’s follow these simple rules when driving in and around schools zones, countless children can avoid injury and death,” said Garrett Townsend, Georgia Public Affairs director, AAA-The Auto Club Group. “It’s up to us to help all drivers become more aware of the risks of driving around our schools.”

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