Back-to-school safe driving reminders

As summer comes to a close, the new school year begins this week.

Drivers are preparing for the back to school traffic. The morning and evening rush will now be more congested – extra buses on the road, dropping school children off. Parents rushing the children to school, And, children racing to school on their bikes.

It has never been more important for road users to slow down and be aware of the road than when children are present – especially before and after school.

In 2017, it was reported that 48 child deaths happened in the UK related to road traffic accidents*.

Child fatalities are mainly pedestrians and car occupants; this is because these are the forms of transport most commonly used by children.

Overall, 15,721 child casualties took place in 2017 (ages 0-15). Although this is a 2% decrease from 2016, the number is still shocking.

• 23% of these incidents took place between 3pm and 5pm on a weekday
• 14% occurred between 7am and 9am on the weekday.

Across Merseyside, in the last 5 years, 348 children have been killed or seriously injured on our roads. 108 of these accidents happened in Liverpool*. The majority of them being pedestrians, closely followed by cyclists*

The new school term beginning can be a dangerous time for children and drivers as we adjust to the ‘back to school routine’. It will take some time to get back into the swing of things.

Remember, give yourself extra time, be patient and alert. But also –

Slow down – Speed limits in school zones are reduced for a reason. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle travelling at 20 – 25mph is nearly two thirds less likely to be killed, compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle travelling just 10 mph faster*

Respect No Parking and No Stopping zones – The morning rush is real. You may think parking right outside of the school gates to let your child jump out is the quickest way to carry on with your journey. But, it is not the safest option for your child, hence the rules.

Do not overtake vehicles in a school zone – Over-taking almost always involves traveling faster than the apposed speed limit. This will reduce your reaction time and you don’t know if a child is going to dart out between parked cars.

The above rules are what we should all know. But as the school year starts, we are reminding you of the importance of sticking to them. ACCIDENTS CAN BE AVOIDED. Accidents can have untold consequences to you, emotionally and physically.

Slow down and be careful this school year.

Have you been involved in a Road Traffic Accident?

If you have been affected by a road traffic accident that wasn’t your fault, you could be entitled to compensation. Start your claim today by filling out our short contact for here.

Our team of specialist RTA solicitors are always on hand to offer legal advice and support to those affected.

For more information please contact us on 0800 888 6888 or email [email protected]

Sources:

*https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/755698/rrcgb-2017.pdf

*http://www.travelindependent.org.uk/area_032.html

*http://www.travelindependent.org.uk/area_05.html

*https://exchange.aaa.com/safety/child-safety/schools-open-drive-carefully/#.XWf8L5NKhGM