Back to School Safety: Watch for Child Pedestrians!

As another languid summer in Tampa Bay draws to a close and children prepare to return to school next week, drivers should be particularly careful on the roads during the early morning and afternoon commutes. With nearly 900,000 children under the age of 18 in the greater Tampa Bay, Florida area, ensuring the safety of children traveling to and from school should be of paramount importance.

In recent years, there have been far too many incidents of motorists striking children walking along high-traffic roads on their way to school or the bus stop in local counties, including Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco.  Mornings are particularly dangerous, as it is still dark and a large number of busy streets lack adequate lighting, traffic signals, and sidewalks, yet driver negligence is the primary cause of pedestrian accidents.  Inattentive and impatient drivers rushing to the office significantly endanger children’s safety through negligent and careless conduct such as speeding, texting while driving, and talking on the phone.   A recent news investigation in Florida reported that an overwhelming majority of drivers disregarded the stop signs and red lights on school busses and proceed to pass them while children were attempting to cross the street.

Below are a few important safety tips from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office  to drivers, parents, and children to maximize the safety of children en route to and from school:

Drivers:
• Be patient.
• Consider school bus traffic and allow extra time for daily commutes.
• Be cautious when driving. Pay attention to the sides of roadways and corners where kids may be walking to or waiting at bus stops.
• Use headlights during dawn hours and low light conditions.
• Avoid distractions. Talking on cell phones, texting, applying make-up, etc. while driving are all recipes for disaster.
• Follow posted speed limits in and around school zones.
• Stop for stopped school busses. Florida law requires all motorists to stop for stopped school busses with red lights flashing) when travelling in the same direction. When travelling in opposite directions, motorists may proceed with caution if on a divided highway (with unpaved space of at least 5 feet), there is a raised median, or a physical barrier is present.

Children Walking To and From School / Bus Stops:

• Plan a walking route to school or the bus stop. Choose the most direct way with the fewest street crossings and, if possible, with intersections that have crossing guards.
• Cross only at designated crosswalks at intersections.
• Obey all traffic signals and/or the crossing guard. Never cross the street against a light, even if traffic is not visible.
• Wear reflective material; it makes you more visible to street traffic. Reflective book bags are available at most retail outlets.
• Be sure to walk to and from school with a sibling, friend or neighbor.
• Avoid wearing headphones because music can be distracting and cause you not to notice potential hazards around you.
• Avoid horseplay. Never run out into the streets or cross in between parked cars.

Exercising extra caution and being mindful on the roads this fall will help curb potentially tragic accidents involving pedestrian schoolchildren.