{"id":6981,"date":"2018-12-08T17:18:34","date_gmt":"2018-12-08T17:18:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lasertechprod.wpengine.com\/?p=6981"},"modified":"2022-09-01T13:52:38","modified_gmt":"2022-09-01T19:52:38","slug":"school-safety-zones-is-your-child-really-safe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lasertech.com\/school-safety-zones-is-your-child-really-safe\/","title":{"rendered":"School Safety Zones: Is Your Child Really Safe?"},"content":{"rendered":"
By\u00a0<\/span>T Nyland, 12\/28\/18<\/span><\/h6>\n

57 million children travel daily to and from school in America, either walking, biking, taking the bus, or are being dropped off. School safety zones require drivers to slow down and take precaution for potential children that may be around: however, traffic accidents are the leading cause of injuries\/death for school-aged children.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Making School Safety Zones Truly Safe for Kids Starts With Adults<\/h1>\n

School safety zones are the most prevalent for a child to be struck by a vehicle compared to any other location.<\/span> A first step in correcting this issue is acquiring a better understanding of the zones themselves, and the consequences of inattentiveness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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School zones require drivers to slow down<\/p><\/div>\n

Pedestrian Safety in School Zones<\/h3>\n

School zones are areas outside of schools, playgrounds, and areas immediately around any type of school bus or transport vehicle with children being both picked up and dropped off.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“There has been a 13% increase in the pedestrian death rate for 12-19-year\u00a0olds\u00a0since 2013” (SafeKids, 2016). In 2015, teens between the ages of 15-19 made up 26% of all children aged 0-19: however, teens made up 49% of total pedestrian fatalities for the year. Safe Kids World Wide estimated that nearly 300 teens were hit and killed by cars while walking in 2015.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But No Children Were Present<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

It’s this common-sense notion that might make “But no children were present,” seem like a logical argument for speeding in a school safety zone, but that is simply not the case. The time period between 7-8 am and 3-4pm are the central times fatalities occur but are not the only times they do occur. “About half of all deaths of children are in or near school zones involve kids who are 15 and older” (Timothy J. Ryan & Associates,” 2018).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is important for us to understand the causalities of even speeding 5 mph over the enforced speed limit in school zones, and for that matter, anywhere. A pedestrian hit at 20 mph has a 95% chance of living. That same person is instead hit by a vehicle travelling more than 40 mph has an 80% chance of dying.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, “At 25 mph, the stopping distance for an average vehicle and driver with average reaction times is at least 56 feet. At 35 mph, the stopping distance is at least 95 feet. Traveling at a normal speed instead of slowing down for the school zone therefore adds 40 feet to stopping distance” (Timothy J. Ryan & Associates,” 2018).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The failure to follow school zone speed limits is the reason why these accidents continue to happen.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Distracted Walking is On The Rise<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

In addition, child and teen distracted walking is gaining momentum: 25% of high school students and 16% of middle school students were found to be walking distracted.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n