News: School Traffic is BACK

DENVER (Aug. 19, 2021) - Colorado's roads are getting more crowded as hundreds of thousands of students and teachers return to school. Drivers need to slow down, eliminate distractions, and obey traffic laws when passing bus stops and driving through neighborhoods and school zones. 

Drivers should expect an increase in: 

• Congestion - More drivers during the morning and afternoon commutes
• Pedestrians - Students walking to and from school or the bus stop
• Buses - Picking up and dropping off students
• Bicyclists  - Traveling to and from school  

"Drivers should have a heightened sense of awareness from the moment they leave the driveway," said Cassie Tanner, spokeswoman for AAA Colorado. "Students will be walking or pedaling throughout neighborhoods and alongside city streets, making their way to-and-from school or the bus stop. Many of them might not be looking for you, so make sure you're looking for them."

SCHOOL ZONES
According to a recent AAA survey of Coloradans: 

• 53% drive through a school zone on their daily commute or driving route. 

Despite that, Coloradans also admit to doing one of the following risky behaviors at least once in the past three months: 

• 38% admit to exceeding the speed limit while driving in active school zones.
• 30% admit to using their hand-held cell phone while driving in active school zones. 

School zones are areas with extremely high vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic. Children on bicycles can be unpredictable and can make sudden changes in direction.

When driving through a school zone, lower your speed and increase your awareness to ensure you can respond to any potential hazards on the roadway.

SCHOOL BUS STOPS

According to a recent AAA survey of Coloradans: 

• 43% encounter school bus stops during their daily commute or regular driving route. 

• 20% admit to driving around a school bus while its red lights are flashing.
• 22% admit to cutting off a school bus because it's driving too slow.

Under Colorado law, you must stop your vehicle at least 20 feet before reaching a school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing whether it is on your side of the road, the opposite side of the road, or at an intersection you are approaching. You must remain stopped until the flashing red lights are no longer operating. Watch carefully for children near the school bus and children crossing the roadway before proceeding.

School Bus Traffic Laws Explained

• Two Lane Street - All drivers moving in either direction on a two-way street must stop for a school bus displaying a stop signal, and must remain stopped until the road is clear of children AND the school bus stop arm is withdrawn. 

• Multi-Lane Paved Median - All drivers moving in either direction must stop for a school bus displaying a stop signal, and must remain stopped until the road is clear of children AND the school bus stop arm is withdrawn.

• Divided Highway - Traffic approaching an oncoming school bus does not need to stop if there is a raised barrier such as a concrete divider or median separating the lanes of traffic. These motorists should still slow down and watch for students loading or unloading from the bus. 

Safety Tips for Students at the Bus Stop
Children should arrive at the bus stop at least 5 minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. Parents should teach them to play it SAFE:

• Stay five steps away from the curb.
• Always wait until the bus comes to a complete stop and the bus driver signals for you to board. Be alert and remove headphones so you can hear oncoming traffic.
• Face forward after finding a seat on the bus.
• Exit the bus when it stops and look left-right-left for cars before crossing a street.

AAA's School Traffic Safety Summary
AAA - The Auto Club Group, through their School's Open Drive Carefully campaign, are reminding motorists to:

• Slow down. Speed limits in school zones are reduced for a reason. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 25 mph is nearly two-thirds less likely to be killed compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling just 10 mph faster.

• 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.

• Eliminate distractions. Research shows that taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles your chances of crashing. Children can move quickly, and commonly cross the road unexpectedly or emerge suddenly between two parked cars. Reduce risk by avoiding distractions such as using your cell phone or eating while driving.

• Share the road . Children on bicycles are often inexperienced, unsteady and unpredictable. Slow down and allow at least three feet of passing distance between your vehicle and a bicyclist. If your child rides a bicycle to school, require that he or she wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet on every ride. Find videos, expert advice and safety tips at ShareTheRoad.AAA.com.

• Talk to your teen . Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States, and nearly one in four fatal crashes involving teen drivers occur during the after-school hours of 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Get evidence-based guidance and tips at TeenDriving.AAA.com.


About AAA - The Auto Club Group
AAA Colorado is a proud part of The Auto Club Group (ACG), the second-largest AAA club in North America with more than 14 million members across 14 U.S. states, the province of Quebec and two U.S. territories. ACG and its affiliates provide members with roadside assistance, insurance products, banking and financial services, travel offerings and more. ACG belongs to the national AAA federation with more than 60 million members in the United States and Canada. AAA's mission is to protect and advance freedom of mobility and improve traffic safety. For more information, get the AAA Mobile app, visit AAA.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.