Creating a Safe, Effective School Zone Traffic Plan
December 2013 Best Practices in School Zone Traffic Calming Creating a Safe, Effective School Zone Traffic Plan Each year, an estimated 100 children are killed in the U.S. as they make their way to and from school, and some 21,000 students are injured from incidents in school zones. The primary factor in these events is speeding. Unfortunately, twothirds of drivers exceed the legal speed limit when passing through these zones. As higher vehicle speeds are directly correlated to increased rates of pedestrian fatalities (NHTSA), it is imperative that drivers adhere to posted speed limits to avoid the tragic loss of life in school zones. While speeding is the primary cause of school zone injuries, other driver behaviors pose a threat to children here, too: ● “Autopilot” driving “Familiarity breeds inattention,” according to a Churchill Insurance Study which found that 46% of drivers say they are most likely to have no recollection of how they got to their destination during “autopilot journeys,” those regular trips on familiar routes. Importantly, 7% percent of motorists say they are most likely to switch to autopilot while “doing the school run.” ● Distracted driving One in six drivers (17%) are distracted, operating with a slower reaction time further increasing the probability of tragedy in school zones. Combine these driver behaviors with children’s actions commonly associated with school zone injuries—darting into traffic, crossing in front of or behind buses or other vehicles, playing in roadways, crossing an intersection or multilane roadway—and it’s easy to see that a successful school zone traffic calming plan must address multiple threats and consider the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, and even drivers.
[Show full text]