Reminder: Slow Down on The Road When School Starts

Georgia residents are urged to slow down and stay alert as 1.7 million children return to school.

🚸 Why It Matters: Children are especially vulnerable to traffic accidents during school hours, particularly in the afternoon. Reducing unsafe driving can prevent child pedestrian fatalities.

🚦 What’s Happening:

• 64% of child pedestrians killed in traffic crashes were during weekdays in 2021, per NHTSA.
• AAA’s School’s Open-Drive Carefully campaign, started in 1946, aims to reduce school-related traffic incidents.

📊 Survey Facts:

• 41% of Georgians admit to speeding in school zones.
• 30% use handheld phones in active school zones.

🚸 Safety Tips:

1. Slow Down: A pedestrian hit at 25 mph is nearly two-thirds less likely to be killed compared to one hit at 35 mph.
2. Eliminate Distractions: Even a two-second distraction doubles your crash risk.
3. Reverse Responsibly: Check for children before backing up.
4. Talk to Your Teen: Educate them on safe driving, especially after school.
5. Complete Stops: Over one-third of drivers roll through stop signs in school zones.
6. Watch for Bicycles: Maintain at least three feet of passing distance.
7. Look for AAA School Safety Patrollers: Over 679,000 patrollers guard 35,000 schools.

🔍 Catch Up Quick: AAA Georgia, alongside the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, will promote the campaign across the state with press conferences starting July 29.

Press Conference Schedule:

• Monday, July 29th, 10:00 a.m. – North Harlem Elementary School, Harlem, GA
• Tuesday, July 30th, 10:00 a.m. – Savannah-Chatham County School District Office, Savannah, GA
• Wednesday, July 31st, 10:00 a.m. – Bibb County School District Operation Center, Macon, GA
• Thursday, August 1st, 10:30 a.m. – Heards Ferry Elementary School, Atlanta, GA
• Tuesday, August 6th, 10:00 a.m. – Muscogee County Schools District Office, Columbus, GA

🚸 The Big Picture: Ensuring the safety of children commuting to and from school is a shared responsibility. Adhering to AAA’s guidelines can significantly decrease accident risks, making neighborhoods safer for everyone.