For Drivers, School Season Must be Greeted with Caution
With school around the corner, drivers need to be aware of the increasing number of people crossing the street, cutting through alleys and getting onto and off of buses.

September 09, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- For Drivers, School Season Must be Greeted with Caution

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Across Pennsylvania, close to three million kids and young adults are getting ready to head back to school. Millions of parents are checking school lists, filling backpacks and stocking up on lunch snacks. School staffs are rushing to clean out the last specks of dust left by summer's freedom.

People are excited, nervous and preoccupied; for drivers whose routes take them past schools and down bus routes, however, the operating adjective must be "watchful."

With school around the corner, drivers need to be aware of the increasing number of people crossing the street, cutting through alleys and getting onto and off of buses.

There are several things drivers can do to increase safety on the road during backt-to-school:
-Follow the speed limit and be especially careful around schools and within crossing zones where students can pop out from behind parked cars and other obstructions
-Don't drive around buses stopping to pick up or drop off children. Though told to make a wide circle when walking around buses, most children forget and can suddenly appear in front of you. Plus, it's the law. When a school bus is stopped and has its stop arm extended, drivers approaching the bus and those traveling behind it are required to stop as well. Failure to do so can result in a $250 fine and a 60-day license suspension.
-Pennsylvania law does not ban cell phone use while driving, but when in school zones, it may be smart to put away the phone and refrain from talking or texting. Studies have shown that cell phone use on the road is possibly as dangerous as drunk driving -- maybe more so.
-It's also important to make sure your car is visible to students, especially in the early hours of the morning or in the evening, when afterschool activities are getting out and students may be walking home. Having your headlights switched on is an easy way to increase your visibility.

While all of these things can help make the roads safer, adult drivers aren't the only ones who need to exercise caution behind the wheel this time of year. In fact, statistically, teen drivers are much more at risk than any other age group and auto-related accidents rank as the number one killer among teens.

For teen drivers on their way to school it's important to stay alert. For this age group, especially, the use mobile devices in the car is emerging as a major cause of accidents. Speed and carelessness also lead to many crash-related deaths ever year.

As Pennsylvania prepares for busier roads and more foot traffic, it's important to be conscious of the changes and work to ensure safety for everyone.

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