The school year has started – and that means contending with buses, extra traffic from parents dropping off their kids and more pedestrians than you saw all summer.
Drivers need to be cautious. School zones and residential neighborhoods alike become busier and less predictable during your commute. Here are some tips that may help you navigate the roads a little more safely until everybody adjusts to back-to-school traffic:
Slow down
School zones typically have reduced speed limits, so watch for those flashing lights or signs – and obey them. Even without an official directive, reducing your speed in residential neighborhoods, too, is wise – especially during peak hours for walkers. Reducing your speed gives you more time to react if a child makes an unpredictable move and steps into your path.
Watch for buses
School buses have those flashing lights and stop signs for a reason – and you need to pay extra attention. If you’re on a two-lane roadway or a two-lane roadway with a center turning lane, all traffic in both directions must stop when the school bus signals it’s loading or unloading. (On four-lane roads, with or without a divider, only traffic heading in the same direction must stop.)
Eliminate distractions
Distracted driving is deadly driving, and it’s especially risky in residential areas where kids are biking or walking to school and school zones with all that extra traffic. Texting, adjusting the GPS and even sipping that morning coffee can take your attention off the road and put everybody’s safety (including your own) at risk. Put your phone on “do not disturb” mode, get your GPS in place before you start and stay focused on the road and your surroundings.
Unfortunately, you can’t do much about the other drivers out there on the road, and some of them are bound to be unprepared or incautious. If you do end up in an accident because another driver was rushing or being inattentive to the road, it may be wise to explore your options for compensation.