Car Accidents in School Zones: Legal Responsibilities and Safety Precautions

Legislators created school zones to ensure a safe area for children to walk to school, get dropped off and picked up, and play freely. These areas generally have lower speed limits and more rigorous enforcement of traffic laws. Despite efforts to keep children safe, these zones see their share of accidents in Biloxi.

If you or your child have been injured in a school zone accident, you could be entitled to compensation. Don’t take on the burden of medical bills, lost wages, and other losses alone—let Gardner Law Group fight for you. Call us at 228-436-6555 to set up a consultation with our team now.

Drivers’ Responsibilities in School Zones

Drivers have specific responsibilities they must uphold when driving in school zones. These zones have posted school speed limits of at least 10 miles per hour lower than the standard speed limit in that area. In some cases, these speed limit signs have flashing lights. In areas with flashing school zone speed limit signs, the flashing lights are used when children are going to school when children are leaving school for the day, and during the lunch hour in some areas.

It is crucial that drivers respect the lower speed limits in school zones. Failing to do so may result in citations for speeding in a school zone, reckless driving, and other violations. Drivers should also be ready to stop for school buses, as they may be going to or from the school. This means staying back from a bus that has its stop sign arm extended and waiting to continue driving until the arm is retracted and all children have crossed.

Drivers should also yield to pedestrians. Children and their caretakers may be crossing at the start and end of the school day, and children can be unpredictable. By driving slowly, drivers can prevent crashes caused by children darting out into the middle of the road.

Avoid distracted driving at all costs in these areas. Remember, you never know when a child will pull their hand away from their caretaker and run into the street. By keeping all of your focus on the road, you are able to respond immediately and stop.

Safety Precautions for Drivers

By following a few safety tips, drivers can prevent accidents and do their part to keep children safe:

• Be alert: School zones are often full of children crossing the road, parents stopping in the middle of the road for a quick drop-off, and crossing guards stopping traffic. Staying alert ensures that you don’t miss anything.

• Give yourself extra time for your commute: When you’re in a rush, you’re much more likely to make avoidable mistakes. Give yourself extra time to get places in the morning and afternoon, when school zone traffic is likely to be at its worst.

• Expect the unexpected: When you’re always ready for a driver to stop, a child to cross the street, or someone to pull out in front of you, you’ll be ready for whatever the school zone brings your way.

• Leave plenty of space: Traffic in school zones is often pretty heavy. Leaving plenty of space between you and other vehicles can help avoid rear-end collisions.
• Listen to the crossing guard: The school’s crossing guard is there to help kids stay safe and avoid accidents. As an added bonus, following their directions ensures you won’t get a harshly worded warning from the school.

Safety Tips for Pedestrians

These tips can help parents and kids stay safe:

• Cross only at approved crosswalks: Even if you can save a few minutes by crossing in the middle of the road, make a habit of crossing only at crosswalks. This teaches your children the very basics of road safety.

• Expect the worst: Expect drivers to ignore stop signs, drive too fast, and otherwise drive unsafely. This puts you in a mindset to take evasive action and protect yourself. When drivers are moving safely, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
• Teach children road safety: If you are a good example for your children, they will learn how to walk to school safely. When you do your daily school run, make sure they know why you are doing what you do.

Fight for Fair Compensation with Gardner Law Group

Don’t wait a moment longer to start your car accident claim in Biloxi. Our team of car accident attorneys is committed to helping you pursue justice. Set up a consultation now by contacting us online, calling our Biloxi office at 228-436-6555, or calling our Pascagoula office at 228-762-6555.