Summer vacation ends this week for students and teachers in Cumberland County.
That means motorists who have grown accustomed to summertime traffic patterns should retrain themselves for sharing the road in the early morning and afternoon hours. Not only are school buses and parents en route to drop-off or pickup, there are also older students frequently behind the wheel, some maybe for the first time in school traffic.
No matter the experience or age of the motorist or the vehicle they’re steering, it behooves us all to brush up on road safety rules. According to AAA, more than half of Tennesseans drive through school zones or bus stops during their daily commute. The same survey found that two in five admitted to speeding in an active school zone, and nearly a third admitted to using their cellphones while driving though an active school zone.
We can and must do better.
Adhere to the lower speed limits while driving through a school zone. They’re lower for a reason, and it’s not to annoy you. It’s to protect you and children who might dart out in front of you. AAA says a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 25 mph is two-thirds less likely to be killed than one hit by a car traveling just 10 mph faster. That’s huge.
Tennessee law requires motorists to stop when approaching a school bus that’s stopped with its red lights flashing and stop arms extended. That goes for both sides of the road; the only exception is on a divided highway with a raised divider.
And put down the phone. Distracted driving is not only dangerous, it’s illegal in Tennessee — no matter where you’re driving.
Putting away phones and other devices is also advice parents should pass on to their children. Remind them to refrain from texting or wearing headphones while they’re walking so they can pay attention to their surroundings.
By using common sense, we can make sure the school year is a safe one for everyone.
— Crossville Chronicle