When summer starts to wane, the new school year beckons, and it is an exciting time for youngsters. From a parent’s perspective, there will always be safety concerns, and car accidents are not uncommon during the back-to-school season.
How Many Children are Injured in Car Accidents?
The prevalence of motor vehicle accidents during back-to-school season is essentially a numbers game. Children have to be transported to school on a daily basis, so the potential for accidents will increase.
An exhaustive study was published by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies in 2002 entitled The Relative Risks of School Travel. The researchers pointed out the fact that it was challenging to compile school-related accident statistics that did not involve school buses.
However, researchers compiled enough data to provide some meaningful statistics. They determined that approximately 800 youngsters lose their lives annually as a result of personal injury sustained in car accidents during typical school transportation hours.
Only two percent of these fatalities involve school buses; the other 98 percent of children are killed in pedestrian, bicycle, and private vehicle accidents. Over 150,000 children are injured in accidents during school transportation time windows, and passenger car accidents accounted for 80 percent of them.
How can Drivers Minimize the Risk of Injury Accidents?
The single most important thing that one can do to protect children when they are in the car is to make sure that they are wearing their seat belts properly. This can sound like an overstatement of the obvious, but the numbers do not lie.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 50 percent of children between the ages of eight and 12 who sustained fatal injuries in car accidents in 2017 were not wearing their seat belts.
Distracted driving is another major factor, and one should be very vigilant when driving an automobile with children in tow. Parents juggle many responsibilities, and multitasking becomes a way of life, but driving distracted is taking an unnecessary risk.
Teenage drivers are behind the wheel in 55 percent of the fatal passenger vehicle accidents that impact school children. Most young people start learning how to drive eventually, but this is a telling statistic to keep in mind, knowing that more inexperienced drivers will be on the road driving to school.
Pedestrian Safety Tips
Children must learn how to stay as safe as possible if they are walking to and from school. Parents can accompany young students to school and can set a good example and provide explanations along the way.
Once again, distractions can be dangerous, and many children carry smart phones. It is important to emphasize to youngsters that they should take nothing for granted, and they should try to establish eye contact with drivers when necessary.
Children must also be taught to beware of unusual circumstances, such as a car backing up or someone entering a driveway. The choice of clothing is another factor because brighter colors can be easily seen will get the attention of drivers.
Atlantic City Car Accident Lawyers at the D’Amato Law Firm Help Victims Recover
There is a major effort to raise safety awareness, and it is hoped that drivers never experience an accident with a motor vehicle. However, if you or a loved one has been in an accident, the Atlantic City car accident lawyers at the D’Amato Law Firm are always available to help. We will explain what kinds of damages are available to you and work to secure the compensation you deserve. Call us today at 609-926-3300 or contact us online for a free consultation. With an office in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, we assist accident victims in Atlantic City, Linwood, Galloway Township, Cape May, Vineland, Millville, Bridgeton, Ocean City, Woodbury, and across South Jersey.