Reminder: Slow Down on The Road When School Starts

July 22, 2024
1 min read
Georgia residents are urged to slow down and stay alert as 1.7 million children return to school.

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.

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🚸 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.


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