AAA Texas Emphasizes Caution For Drivers, Pedestrians And Bicyclists As School Year Begins

SAN ANGELO, TX - Texas students are returning to classes soon on foot, bicycles, as well as in cars and school buses.

To prevent traffic-related injuries and fatalities to students, AAA Texas reminds drivers to slow down and stay alert in and around school zones as well as in other areas where children might be present.

Crashes are one of the leading causes of death for school-aged children, according to AAA. The afternoon hours are particularly dangerous. Nearly one-third of child pedestrian fatalities occur between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

AAA’s "School’s Open – Drive Carefully!" awareness campaign began in 1946 to help reduce child pedestrian fatalities and injuries. Today, this effort is more important than ever due to the prevalence of drivers with smartphones and the increase in distracted driving on our roads.

“School-aged children will soon be walking and biking to and from campuses, so drivers should prepare for them,” said AAA Texas Corporate Communications & Programs Manager Doug Shupe. “Back to school means back to safety—let’s stay alert, be prepared, and watch out for each other."

In 2023, there were 8,516 motor vehicle crashes on Texas roads involving pedestrians and cyclists, which killed 807 pedestrians and 105 cyclists. Another 1,773 pedestrians and bicyclists were seriously injured across the state last year in crashes with vehicles.

Kids are particularly vulnerable because they are small and less visible to drivers, do not always make safe decisions near streets, and can easily be distracted when around other kids. Children are not adults, so it is up to drivers to compensate for these differences.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,308 people died in distracted-related crashes in the U.S. in 2022. That is an average of nine people killed each day in crashes that are preventable.

In Texas alone in 2023, there were 94,410 crashes due to distraction resulting in 403 deaths and 2,799 serious injuries. Distracted driving is especially dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists. Non-drivers account for nearly one in five distracted driving deaths.

The true numbers of deaths and injuries due to distraction are much higher though because distracted driving is often underreported or difficult to determine as the cause of a crash.

Speed is a leading factor in crashes for teens and adults on Texas roads. According to the latest data from the Texas Department of Transportation, in 2023 speed was a factor in 161,752 crashes in our state, leading to more than 1,400 deaths and 6,000 serious injuries.

Speeding endangers not only the life of the driver but everyone on the road around them. Drivers should obey speed limits, and adjust speed based on road conditions, such as during bad weather.

To prevent injuries and deaths this school year, AAA Texas reminds drivers to:

1. Eliminate distractions and put down cell phones. Children often cross the road unexpectedly and may emerge suddenly between parked cars.
2. Slow down. Speed limits in school zones are reduced for a reason. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling 25 mph is nearly two-thirds less likely to be killed compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling just 10 mph faster.

3. Watch out for bicycles. Children on bikes can be inexperienced, unsteady, and unpredictable. Slow down and allow at least three feet of passing distance between your vehicle and the bicycle.
4. Talk with teens. More than one-quarter of fatal crashes involving teen drivers occur during after-school hours.
5. Fully stop at stop signs. Research shows that more than one-third of drivers roll through stop signs in school zones or on neighborhood streets. Always come to a complete stop, checking carefully for children on sidewalks and in crosswalks before continuing.
6. Watch for school buses. Drivers should slow down and prepare to stop if they see yellow flashing lights which indicate the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload kids. Red flashing lights and extended stop arms means the bus has stopped and children are actively getting on or off. Drivers MUST stop and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop-arm withdraws, and the bus begins to move before they can drive again.

Parents and guardians should also:

1. Walk school routes with young children to point out potential traffic hazards.
2. Remind kids to watch the road and not their phones. Ask them not to call, text or play games until at their destination or stopped in a safe location.
3. Ask students to remove headphones or turn down the volume so they can hear what is going on around them.
4. Encourage students to always watch out for cars and make eye contact with drivers before crossing a street or crosswalk to make sure the driver sees them.
5. Remind kids not to play, push or shove others when they walk around traffic.
6. Ensure bicyclists wear a correctly fitted helmet and securely fastened chin strap on every bike ride.
7. Talk about school bus safety with riders including, staying five steps away from the curb, waiting until buses come to a complete stop and the driver signals for them to board first, and always look left-right-left for cars before exiting the bus and crossing the street.