DALLAS — A good reminder, from one of our viewers as the second semester is in full swing for students: How important it is to take it slow in school zones!
Your choices behind the wheel could be the difference between life and death for a student or faculty member.
According to TXDOT, there were 746 traffic crashes in Texas school zones last year that resulted in 23 serious injuries.
The most common causes were driver inattention, speeding, and failure to yield the right of way.
The agency offers these tips for driving in school zones:
The first goes for any time you're behind the wheel, but especially in an active school zone where using it for any reason is illegal: Put your phone down!
It's important to stay alert, to be able to keep an eye out for kids who are gathered at bus stops or walking. They could dart into the street without looking or cut across the street instead of using a crosswalk.
Another one you should be doing all the time: Follow the posted speed limit!
Fines increase in school zones. So unless you're made of money, protect other people and your pockets by slowing down.
For parents dropping the kiddos off, make sure to do that in your school's designated areas, not the middle of the street.
And when you're at home, go over some tips with them to stay safe on their way to school. Reminders like always using sidewalks and marked crosswalks, checking both ways before crossing streets, and staying off their phones while making their way to campus.
As always, if you have a traffic concern in your area, you can email us here.