Avoiding Back to School Crashes

Although the back-to-school season can be an exciting time for both parents and children, it does come with host of new risks for school age children. School zones, in particular, are often chaotic, especially during pick-up and drop-off times. For this reason, accidents involving pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists are not an uncommon occurrence in school zones, despite the existence of specific traffic laws intended to protect these individuals.

In the end, teaching one’s children how to safely commute to and from school is the best way to reduce your own children’s chances of being involved in a back-to-school crash, so we’ve included a few tips to help you get started. Unfortunately, even those who take great care to teach their children about the dangers of school zones could find themselves or their children injured in an accident, in which case, it is important to speak with an experienced car accident attorney as soon as possible.

Walking Safety Plans

Those with school-age children who will be walking to and from school should consider creating a walking safety plan that includes instructions to:

• Remain alert and avoid looking at cell phones and other distractions when walking in parking lots, in front of the school, on sidewalks, and in crosswalks;
• Walk on the sidewalk whenever possible;
• Walk on the left side of the road, facing oncoming traffic if no sidewalk is present;
• Checking both sides of the road before crossing the street;
• Making eye contact with drivers at crosswalks before crossing; and
• Only crossing the road at designated crosswalks and intersections.

Children who ride bikes to school should also be directed to wear helmets and if possible, backpacks with reflective tape, and to come to a complete stop, dismount, and walk their bike across the street when crossing is necessary.

Boarding and Exiting the Bus Safely

While taking the bus to and from school can save parents time and ensure that children reach school in a timely fashion, it’s also important to remember that boarding and exiting a bus can also be dangerous. To help prevent this type of accident, guardians should be sure to go to the bus stop with their children for the first few days of the school year to show them where to wait for the bus and how to get on and off properly. Children should also be encouraged to stand six feet away from the curb and to avoid crossing the street in front of a bus is possible. If taking this step is necessary, children should be directed to walk on the side of the road until they are ten feet ahead of the bus before crossing. Finally, children should be warned to keep an eye out for cars that may have missed the bus’s stop sign when crossing.

An Experienced Car Accident Lawyer

If your child was injured in a back-to-school accident, you need the assistance of a dedicated and compassionate lawyer who can help protect your child’s interests. Please call 954-566-9919 to speak with a Fort Lauderdale auto accident attorney at Boone & Davis today to learn more.

https://www.booneanddavislaw.com/recovering-from-a-chest-contusion/