Some important back to school safety tips for drivers, parents, and students include driving slowly in school zones, stopping for school buses, avoiding distractions, and looking both ways before crossing the street.
Accidents can happen anywhere, even if you take precautions. If you were involved in a car crash near a school, a Raleigh car accident lawyer from CR Legal Team can help you file a claim and pursue compensation.
What are Some Back-to-School Safety Tips for Drivers, Parents, and Students?
Back-to-school safety is a shared responsibility. Drivers, parents, and students all play an important role when it comes to preventing accidents near schools, bus stops, neighborhoods, and busy intersections.
Back to School Safety Tips for Drivers
As a driver during back-to-school season, it’s important to:
- Slow down in school zones: Pay attention to posted speed limits and reduce your speed when approaching schools, playgrounds, and residential areas.
- Watch for children: Children may suddenly enter the roadway, particularly near crosswalks, parked cars, and school entrances.
- Stop for school buses: Never attempt to pass a school bus that has stopped to load or unload children and has its stop signal up.
- Avoid distractions: Adjust your GPS before driving, put down your phone, and keep your focus on the road.
- Expect bicyclists: Give cyclists adequate space and check carefully before turning or opening your door near bike lanes.
- Yield at crosswalks: Watch for pedestrians entering or preparing to enter marked and unmarked crosswalks.
- Leave extra time: Rushing through congested school traffic increases the likelihood of accidents.
- Be patient in pickup lines: Avoid passing other vehicles or making unsafe maneuvers simply because traffic is moving slowly.
Back to School Safety Tips for Parents
As a parent, you can help your child develop safe habits before the first day of school.
You should teach your child to:
- Look both ways before crossing the street.
- Use designated crosswalks whenever possible.
- Obey pedestrian signals and traffic lights.
- Make eye contact with drivers before crossing.
- Avoid running into the street.
- Stay alert instead of using a phone while walking.
- Use sidewalks rather than walking in the roadway.
- Pay attention around driveways and parking lots.
Back to School Safety Tips for Students
Students can also take steps to stay safe, whether they walk, bike, ride the bus, get dropped off, or drive themselves. First, children walking to school should stay alert and avoid distractions. Looking at a phone or wearing headphones at a volume that prevents them from hearing nearby traffic can make it harder to recognize danger.
Students riding bicycles should wear a properly fitted helmet, follow traffic signs and signals, ride in bike lanes (when available), and wear lights or reflective equipment when visibility is poor. Students who ride the bus should remain seated while the bus is moving and follow the driver’s instructions.
Lastly, older students who drive themselves to school should avoid speeding through a school zone, texting while driving, or trying to maneuver around stopped traffic.
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Call 888-843-8326Who is Liable for a Car Accident Near a School?
Liability for a car accident near a school depends on how the accident happened and who acted negligently. Potentially liable parties may include:
- A negligent driver: A driver may be responsible for an accident caused by speeding, distracted driving, failing to yield, running a stop sign, or otherwise violating traffic laws.
- A parent: Parents who are dropping off or picking up students can be liable if they make unsafe turns, stop in prohibited areas, back up without checking for pedestrians, or engage in other careless behavior.
- A school bus driver: A bus driver or their employer may be liable if their negligence causes a collision.
- A vehicle owner: In some situations, the owner of a vehicle may share liability for an accident.
- A school or other property owner: A school or property owner could bear responsibility if unsafe conditions such as poorly designed traffic patterns or inadequate signage contributed to the accident.
If you were injured in a crash near a school, the personal injury lawyers at CR Legal Team can help you hold the at-fault party accountable.
Common Causes of Car Accidents Near Schools
Some dangers appear repeatedly during the school year. Common causes of car crashes at schools include:
- Distracted driving: Looking at a phone or interacting with passengers can take a driver’s attention away from the road in front of them.
- Speeding: Higher speeds reduce a driver’s reaction time and may increase the severity of any collisions that occur.
- Illegal passing: Passing stopped school buses or other vehicles near crosswalks can put children directly in harm’s way.
- Poor visibility: Parked vehicles, large buses, poor weather, and darkness early in the morning can make pedestrians harder to see.
- Congested parking lots: Children can move unpredictably through areas where vehicles are entering and exiting.
- Inexperienced drivers: Teen drivers may struggle with heavy traffic, distractions, and rapidly changing situations.
- Unsafe pedestrian behavior: Crossing outside designated areas or entering traffic without looking can increase the risk of being struck.
If you were involved in a crash near a school, the car accident attorneys at CR Legal Team can investigate the incident and gather evidence to prove what caused it.
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Call 888-843-8326What Should You Do After a Back-to-School Traffic Accident?
Even with careful planning, accidents can happen. After an accident near a school, you should:
- Move to safety: If the vehicles can be moved safely and doing so is appropriate, get out of active traffic lanes without leaving the accident scene.
- Call 911: Report the accident and request emergency medical assistance (if necessary). A crash report will provide important documentation of what happened.
- Exchange information: Obtain the names, contact information, driver’s license information, insurance details, and vehicle information of the other drivers involved.
- Document the scene: Take photographs or videos of the vehicles, traffic signs, crosswalks, school-zone markings, and any visible injuries.
- Identify witnesses: Ask people who saw the accident for their contact information.
- Seek medical attention: Visit a doctor to get evaluated and create a record of your condition for your claim.
- Preserve evidence: Keep medical records, photographs, repair estimates, insurance correspondence, and any other documents related to the accident.
- Notify your insurance company: Report the accident as required by your policy, but avoid discussing fault or minimizing your injuries.
- Talk to our lawyers: If another person’s negligence caused the accident, then Good News: CR Legal Team is here to support you. Our personal injury attorneys can help with every aspect of your claim and help you pursue damages.
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Call 888-843-8326Get Help from Our Car Accident Lawyers
Even if you drive safely, accidents can happen. If you or your child was involved in an accident on the way to or from school, our car accident lawyers at CR Legal Team can assist with your claim, handle negotiations with insurers, and pursue the compensation you are entitled to.
At CR Legal Team, We Stand Up For You®. Schedule a free case review to find out how we can help with your case.
