As summer ends, many children in Texas will be out on the roads making their way to school. It’s vital that you know how to drive in school zones because about 100 children are killed each year in America while walking to or from school, and around 25,000 are injured. In order to avoid tragic pedestrian accidents, here are four tips on how to drive in a school zone:
- Reduce your speed: Children are very unpredictable, and their peripheral vision is about one-third narrower than yours, so children can’t see you approaching from the right or left as soon as you can. That’s why it’s vital to follow the school zone speed limit, which is usually 15 or 20 m.p.h. Special speed limit signs, usually with flashing lights, are posted around schools to alert you when to reduce your speed.
- Be very cautious around school buses: Never pass a school bus that is stopped with children loading or unloading. If you do pass a school bus you could get a four-point infraction on your driver’s license. It’s never worth the risk of harming a child in order to get where you are going quicker.
- Always be prepared to brake: When driving through a school zone, try to keep your foot off the accelerator as much as possible. Try coasting through the school zone with your foot near your brake in case you need to stop suddenly.
- Never text or talk on your phone in a school zone: Most pedestrian accidents occur because of distracted driving due to cell phones. Especially put down your phone when you are in a school zone to avoid injuring a child in a serious car accident.
Even if you are a safe driver through school zones, many others aren’t. If you or a loved one were the victim of a pedestrian or car accident in Dallas due to a negligent driver, you deserve justice. Contact Crowe Arnold & Majors, LLP today and set-up your free, no-obligation consultation.
