To Help Your Child to be Safe School Year

By Safekids/PIO
Sept. 1, 2009

As kids head back to school, Safe Kids’ new study “Characteristics of Distracted Drivers in School Zones: A National Report” reveals a scary truth: One out of every six drivers in school zones is distracted. With cell phones, email and text messaging being added to the list of more traditional distractions like eating and grooming, there are more ways than ever for drivers to become distracted – and potentially dangerous to children as they walk to and from school.

About 10 percent of drivers were caught using hand-held electronics—such as cell phones, PDAs, and Smartphones. These devices were the leading cause of distraction. And while laws on using electronics while driving are still being hotly debated, this research shows that simply having a law on the books could help reduce distracted driving. States that have laws are 13 percent less likely to have distracted drivers in school zones.

 

The Danger of Distracted Driving Recent studies have measured the driving skills of distracted drivers showing they perform as bad or worse than drivers who are drunk. This is frightening for anyone on the road, but it’s a particularly dangerous situation when kids are added into the mix.

Common Traits of Distracted Driving
Seatbelt use. Drivers that don’t wear a seatbelt are 34 percent more likely to be distracted than drivers who are buckled up. As a driver, if you engage in one risky behavior – you are more likely to engage in multiple unsafe driving behaviors.

Time of day. Afternoon drivers are 22 percent more likely to be distracted than morning drivers. Throughout the year, one in three child pedestrian deaths occur between 3 and 7 p.m., making afternoons the most dangerous time for children to walk.

Gender. Female drivers are 21 percent more likely to be distracted than male drivers. Moms today have a million things on their to-do lists and too often women are multitasking behind the wheel. But that doesn’t mean male drivers are off the hook—their rate of distraction was still way too high.

Traffic volume. People driving on roads with a lot of traffic are 16 percent more likely to be distracted than those driving on roads with less traffic.

Tips from Safe Kids Walk This Way

Safe Kids and FedEx have been working together for 10 years on the Walk This Way program where we educate children about walking safely. We conduct programs in more than 600 schools and have reached more than a million kids all across the United States.

Be a Safe Kid  Always cross the street with an adult until age 10 Pause your music, hang up the cell phone and don’t text until you’ve safely crossed the street Never play hand-held games while walking Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks Look left, right and left again when crossing Always walk, never run, when crossing streets Walk on sidewalks or paths Walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible if there are no sidewalks Never run out into the street or cross in between parked cars Be a Safe Driver Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods and school zones Eliminate any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings Watch for children on and near the road in the morning and after school hours

Source: USA Safekids

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com