VICTOR VALLEY, CA. (Pain In The Pass) >> It’s back to school! The new school year starts on Wednesday morning for Apple Valley students and Thursday for Hesperia students.
Motorists are being reminded to slow down and stay alert in neighborhoods and in school zones.
And remember the roadwork on Rancho Road in Hesperia is still going on with the speed limit goes down to 25 miles per hour. Expect Major Delays around Oak Hills High School because of the roadwork and new start time. Oak Hills High School starts at 8:45am to 3:35pm.
According to AAA, be especially vigilant for pedestrians during before – and after-school hours. Children are particularly vulnerable during the afternoon hours following their school day. Over the last decade, nearly one-third of child pedestrian fatalities occurred between 3 and 6pm.
Remember kids could be walking to school as early as 7am and as late as 4pm daily.
“We are aware of the risk to children in and around school zones which is why we developed the AAA’s School’s Open – Drive Carefully awareness campaign to help curb unsafe driving behavior near schools,” AAA-The Auto Club Group. “If motorists slow down and stay alert, they can save lives.”
We offer seven ways to keep kids safe this school year:
- 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. A difference between 25 mph and 35 mph can save a life.
- School Bus Safety. when a school bus stops and flashes its red lights, traffic approaching from either direction must stop before reaching the bus.
- Eliminate distractions. Children often cross the road unexpectedly and may emerge suddenly between two parked cars. Research shows that taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles your chances of crashing.
- Reverse responsibly. Every vehicle has blind spots. Check for children on the sidewalk, driveway and around your vehicle before slowly backing up. Teach your children to never play in, under or around vehicles—even those that are parked.
- Talk to your teen. Car crashes are one of the leading causes of death for teens in the United States, and more than one-quarter of fatal crashes involving teen drivers occur during the after-school hours of 3 to 7pm.
- Come to a complete stop. Research shows that more than one-third of drivers roll through stop signs in school zones or neighborhoods. Always come to a complete stop, checking carefully for children on sidewalks and in crosswalks before proceeding.
- Watch for bicycles. Children on bicycles are often inexperienced, unsteady, and unpredictable. Slow down and allow at least three feet of passing distance between your vehicle and the bicycle. If your child rides a bicycle to school, require that they wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet on every ride.
“If you and other drivers follow these simple rules when driving in and around school zones, countless children can avoid injury and death.”
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