Why Are There More Car Accidents When Kids Go Back to School?
The back-to-school period sees a surge in auto accidents as extra traffic hits the road. Parents drive in the early morning and early afternoon to drop off and pick up their children, school buses travel through neighborhoods, and other people get back to normal commuting habits after summer vacation.
Here are a few of the causes of the increase in car accidents after students go back to school.
School Buses Are Back on the Road
Many students take advantage of school bus services to get to and from school. School buses make frequent stops through neighborhoods to pick up students near their homes. In addition to this, the laws protecting school buses, such as regulations requiring buses to stop at all railroad crossings and laws requiring traffic in both directions to stop for school buses with their lights flashing, can back up traffic. Unfortunately, some drivers may become impatient and try to illegally pass school buses that are picking up or dropping off students. Distracted drivers may also fail to exercise caution when driving around school buses.
Newly-Licensed Teen Drivers
High school students who received their driver’s licenses over the summer contribute to the increase in traffic during back-to-school when these students begin driving themselves to school. However, high school students are inexperienced drivers prone to make mistakes and using poor judgment behind the wheel. This includes excessive speeding or engaging in distracted driving behaviors such as texting while driving.
Road Construction
Many municipalities in New Jersey rush to finish road construction projects during the back-to-school period before colder weather sets in. Road construction zones require traffic to slow down and may also cause congestion due to closed lanes. Unfortunately, this may make drivers impatient about being late to school or work, causing them to engage in speeding and other unsafe driving behaviors.
Drowsiness
Because most primary and secondary schools start early, students and parents need to wake up earlier than they may have been during the summer. This can cause parents and students to drive while feeling drowsy or fatigued. Teen drivers can be particularly at risk for drowsy driving because they frequently get insufficient sleep. Although teens usually need around nine hours of sleep, because they stay up finishing homework, playing video games, or being on their phones or computers, they often get fewer than seven hours of sleep.
Students Walking or Biking to School
Back-to-school also creates the risk of pedestrian and bicycle accidents for students who choose to walk or bike to school. While drivers may fail to exercise caution in and near school zones, students may also neglect the rules of the road while walking or biking to school.
Tips for Avoiding an Auto Accident
Important tips to keep in mind when commuting in the mornings and afternoons during the school year include:
- Make sure to leave early enough to get to school or to work on time
- If you have a teen driver, consider accompanying them on practice runs to locations they will frequently drive to, such as school, friends’ houses, the teen’s place of work, or athletic fields. This can help teens get a feel for the roads and make them more confident drivers
- Practice defensive driving to be prepared for the unexpected; in addition, make sure to avoid distractions and follow posted speed limits
- Be careful in and near school zones
- Give school buses extra space and follow all applicable laws that protect school buses
Contact a Nutley Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Car Accident Case in New Jersey
Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to a car accident in New Jersey? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Birkhold & Maider, LLC represent clients injured because of a car accident in Nutley, Union County, Mercer County, Hudson County, and throughout New Jersey. Call 973-947-4670 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 189 Franklin Avenue #1 Nutley, NJ 07710, as well as a satellite office in Hamilton, NJ.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.
