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Kids, Cars, Congestion Coming To A School Zone Near You

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(Friday) August 20, 2010

Area Children Are Heading Back To School; Keep Them Safe By Driving Cautiously Through School Zones

As 800,000 Washington metropolitan area students prepare to start the 2010-2011 school year in the coming weeks, AAA Mid-Atlantic and the Mid Atlantic Foundation for Safety and Education remind motorists to be aware of increased child pedestrian activity and traffic congestion in and around neighborhoods and school zones.

With more than half of those students in elementary school, typically age 14 and younger, AAA urges drivers to be especially cautious and alert during the morning and afternoon hours.

“Across all school grades, the family vehicle and school bus are the primary methods used for travel to and from school, with walking following in a close third,” said John B. Townsend II, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Manager of Public and Government Affairs. “That’s why it’s imperative for motorists to be aware of their surroundings and drive carefully when driving where children are present.”

    • Drivers in the District should be particularly aware of the increased fines for passing school

buses. According to D.C. law, “the driver of a vehicle approaching from any direction a school bus on which a warning light is flashing, shall prepare to stop the vehicle and shall bring the vehicle to a complete stop not less than 15 feet from the school bus.”  Failing to do so will net the driver a $500 fine – a 900 percent increase from the previous fine of $50.

A recent study shows that one in six motorists driving through a school zone was visibly distracted, with the use of cell phones and other hand-held devices as the leading cause of distraction. “AAA Mid-Atlantic continues to urge motorists to put down their phones as a means to prevent distracted driving,” the spokesman added.

Our area boasts some of the largest school districts in the United States, according to enrollment figures from the U.S. Department of Education. The list includes:  Fairfax County (rank: 14- students: 165,722), Montgomery County (rank: 17 – students: 137,717 ), Prince George’s County (rank: 21 –students: 129,752), Anne Arundel County  (rank: 47 – students: 73,400), Prince William County (rank: 50 –students: 72,988 ), the District of Columbia (rank: 69- students: 58,191), Loudoun County (rank: 79 – students: 53,961), and Howard County (rank: 93 – students: 49,542).

Some motorists will have to begin taking precautions on Monday, August 23 when thousands of public school students in Washington and D.C., Prince George’s County return to school.  Students enrolled in grades 1-5, 6, and 9 in Anne Arundel County will also report that day. School opens for grades 1 through 12 Tuesday, August 24.

One week later, 26,779 students will hear the first bell of the school year ring in Charles County, one of the fastest growing school systems in Maryland.  Approximately 17,189 students will report for their first day of school in St. Mary’s County Wednesday, August 25.

For students in Montgomery County, the school doors will open the following Monday, August 30. Fairfax County, Arlington County and Alexandria City schools won’t open their doors to students until after Labor Day, with classes starting Tuesday, September 7.

AAA’s School’s Open – Drive Carefully campaign was launched in 1946 to help reduce the number of school-related pedestrian injuries and fatalities. To make sure children are safe as they navigate their way through school zones, the auto club offers motorists the following advice:

    • Follow the speed limit. School zone speed limits are purposefully set low. Children are unpredictable and may have difficulty gauging the distance and speed of an approaching car.
    • Drive with headlights on. Turn on the vehicle’s running lights or headlights – even during the day. Headlights allow children and other drivers to see you better and aid when driving in inclement weather.
    • Look for AAA School Safety Patrollers. With more than half a million AAA School Safety Patrollers at 30,000 schools across the country, they’re a sure sign you’re approaching a school zone.
    • Come to a complete stop at intersections with stop signs. Research shows that more than one third of drivers roll through stop signs in school zones or neighborhoods.
    • Scan between parked cars and other objects. Children are sometimes likely to dart into the road and looking for signs can help prevent accidents and injuries.
    • Always stop for loading or unloading school busses. It may be tempting to drive around stopped school busses, but not only is it dangerous, it’s against the law.
    • Eliminate driver distraction. AAA research shows that taking your eyes off the road for two seconds doubles your chances of crashing. Putting down your phone makes you a safer driver and sets a good example for young passengers and pedestrians.
    • Plan Ahead. Leave early for your destination and build in extra time for congestion.  Modify your route to avoid school zones and traffic.