AAA Reminds Motors To Drive Safe As Children Go Back to School
Kimberly Schwind, with AAA, spoke with on the Gary Rivers Show Tuesday morning — to remind motorists to slow down and be more aware of children this week.
Canton City Schools went back into session Tuesday morning. Other area schools will soon follow.
The Facts:
On average, a pedestrian was killed every 88 minutes in traffic crashes in 2017, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In Ohio, pedestrian fatalities remain high. Last year 132 pedestrians died from traffic crashes, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). This is nearly 5 percent higher than the five year average (2014-2018).
Young pedestrians are not immune. During the past five years, ODOT says 3,792 crashes involving pedestrians 18 years old or younger occurred in Ohio (about 758 each year). These resulted in 68 young pedestrian deaths, including 13 killed in 2018.
Students going to and from school are especially at risk, as ODOT data shows young pedestrian crashes spike in the morning and afternoon, with 3 p.m. standing out as the peak time for crashes involving pedestrians 18 years old and younger. Thursday and Friday also prove especially dangerous.
Kimberly Offered Safety Tips to Motorists
As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides nearly 59 million members with travel-, insurance-, financial-, and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and an advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at AAA.com.
