The tragic death of nine-year-old Rebecca Johns yesterday as she was struck attempting to cross Franconia Road south of Alexandria on her bicycle should serve as an urgent reminder to all motorists to use more caution driving as schools throughout the region open their doors this fall.
“With nearly 800,000 children returning to school in our region, motorists must remember to expect the unexpected—children will dart out in traffic and do the unexpected,” said Mahlon G. “Lon” Anderson, Managing Director of Public and Government Relations for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “It’s up to us drivers to use extra caution—slow down and scan the streets ahead—to save the lives of these children.”
Each fall, AAA Mid-Atlantic and the Mid-Atlantic Foundation for Safety and Education remind motorists to be aware of increased child pedestrian activity and school bus operations in and around neighborhoods and school zones. The campaign, “Schools Open Please Drive Carefully,” has been running every year since 1933, and distributes over 78,000 posters, bumper stickers, and DVDs locally to try to remind motorists to slow down and add caution just so we can avoid these kinds of terrible tragedies, the AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesman noted.
Both the AAA Club and Foundation also sponsor the AAA School Safety Patrol Program, to help keep children safe on their way to and from schools. There are over 35,000 children participating in the AAA School Safety Patrol Program just in the Washington area.
Given that more than half of the 800,000 area students in elementary school, typically age 14 and younger, AAA urges drivers to be especially cautious and alert during the morning and afternoon hours. “Traffic safety may be about the last thing on the minds of children as they are playing and visiting with school mates, so it needs to be top of mind for motorists,” Anderson said.
In yesterday’s tragic crash, media reports indicate the driver was not charged and was devastated by the tragedy. “But the crash, unfortunately fits the profile—it happened about 4 p.m. and was not at an intersection,” Anderson noted. “In 2008, 43 percent of the child pedestrian fatalities occurred between the hours of 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., mostly not at intersections.
Here are some tips for drivers and children to help keep them safe on our streets and neighborhoods as schools re-open this fall:
Drivers Tips to Keep School Children Safe
· Slow down in or near school and residential areas.
· Drive with your headlights on – even during the day – so children and other drivers can see you.
· Look for clues such as School Safety Patrols, Adult Crossing Guards, bicycles, and playgrounds, which indicate children could be in the area.
· Always stop for school buses that are loading/unloading students.
· Limit distractions such as cell phones, CD players or other devices that cause you to take your eyes off the road.
· Practice extra caution in adverse weather conditions.
· Pay particular attention near schools during the morning and afternoon hours.
· Scan between parked cars and other objects for signs that children could dart into the road.
Safe Walking Tips for Children
· Always obey Adult Crossing Guards and AAA School Safety Patrols.
· Before crossing – look all ways.
· Obey all traffic signals.
· Use crosswalks and corners to cross the road.
· Where there is no sidewalk and it is necessary to walk in the roadway, walk facing traffic and as far from the roadway as possible.
· Avoid crossing between parked cars.
· Watch for cars. Be sure that the way is clear before you cross.