Florida - AAA warns drivers to slow down and pay attention in school zones and in neighborhoods as 55 million kids go back to school across the country.
According to the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were over 343 U.S. child pedestrian deaths and 11,000 injuries in 2015. Florida ranks 2nd in the nation for child pedestrian fatalities with 36 deaths occurring in 2015.
AAA says the before-and-after-school hours are the most important times for driver to be aware. In the last 10 years, 1/3 of child pedestrian deaths occurred after school between the hours of 3 PM and 7 PM.
Since 1946, AAA's School’s Open – Drive Carefully campaign has helped lower the amount of child pedestrian injuries and deaths. "AAA’s School’s Open – Drive Carefully awareness campaign is designed to curb a trend of unsafe driving behavior as children head back to school," said AAA's Managing Director of Traffic Safety Advocacy and Executive Director of the Auto Club Group Traffic Safety Foundation, Amy Stracke. “It’s important for motorists to fully focus on driving and remember to be on the lookout for children walking or riding their bicycles to and from school.”
AAA has also released several tips for drivers to use to ensure that they are driving carefully and keeping kids safe. AAA suggests you:
Photo courtesy of Tonktiti and Shutterstock.com.
Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2017.
