It is important to drive safely and minimize distractions whenever operating a motor vehicle. But there are certain areas where it is extra important to pay attention. Let’s consider one of those areas: school zones.
When children are present, it is extremely important for drivers to be aware of their surroundings, keep their eyes on the road, drive slowly, and avoid smartphone use.
But this does not always happen.
Just how safe are school zones in Washington in terms of pedestrian safety?
School zone driver safety in Washington
Zendrive, a tech company that analyzes motorist safety with phone sensor technology, ranked each of the states in terms of driver safety in school zones.
Washington received a C+ rating for road safety in school zones, ranking 27th out of 51 states (including the District of Columbia). A total of 29 counties were analyzed.
Zendrive looked at how aggressively motorists were accelerating, how hard they were braking, and how often they were engaging in distracted driving behavior. Data from more than 4 million drivers driving near 75,000 school districts was analyzed.
Other notable findings include:
- 1 in 3 drivers exhibited unsafe pick-up and/or drop-off behavior while driving in school zones
- The most dangerous hour to be on roads in a school zone is between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
- Cell phone use while driving in a school zone increases a driver’s chance of a collision by 20 times
If you regularly drive in a school zone, do your part by paying attention and minimizing distractions. We all play a part in keeping our school zones safe for children and pedestrians.
Free consultation: To speak to a personal injury lawyer about a distracted driving-related accident, call 1-844-ELK-WEST.