Back to School: School Zone Accidents

Summer is quickly coming to an end, and the children will soon be on their way back to school. Registration periods are upon us, as are school shopping lists and teacher introductions. Although the summer has been full of vacations for many, the relief of going back into the usual school-year routine washes over parents across the United States. Certainly, toward the back of the minds of these families is the potential for school zone accidents.

Potential Hazards

For the purposes of this discussion, the definition of a school zone is not strictly limited to the drivable area surrounding a school, but anywhere that a family entrusts the life of their child to school personnel. School zones additionally include the school bus, the route to school, anywhere on campus, and anywhere that is considered to be the property of the school. The top three hazards across the country that result in injuries and even death to our nation’s schoolchildren are:

• Walking or riding a bike to school;
• School transportation; and
• School playgrounds.

Avoiding Disaster

Most of these injuries are preventable by implementing standards for your children to obey and ensuring that they understand the severity of the risks. Some reasonable precautions may include:

• If they are walking or bike-riding to school, ensure there is a safe route for your child to walk and they are mentally and physically capable of being aware of their surroundings. Teach them to look for dangers and go straight to school without being distracted. Practice looking left, right, then left again before crossing the road and only cross at crosswalks when it is safe. Do not ride the bike across the intersection, walk it across instead and of course, always wear a helmet;
• Using school transportation itself, in reality, is very safe as far as the ride itself is concerned. The largest percentage of injuries occur from boarding and exiting the bus. Walk to and from the bus with a friend or family member, arriving at least five minutes early to avoid being in a hurry. Only board the bus once it has come to a complete stop, the doors are opened, and the safety lights are flashing and once on board, do not move around; and
• On a playground, let them know that it is best to use a piece of equipment only as it was intended and that roughhousing should not be permitted.

Getting Help When You Need It

It is overwhelming and emotional when the children we raise become hurt or ill, and we are powerless to prevent it. There are only so many measures we can take to help our children, and when those we trust them with while in school fail to do their part, there are many viable actions that can be taken to obtain the compensation needed to start the healing process. If you are interested in explaining your case to a San Jose, CA personal injury attorney and discussing potential options for a resolution, contact John J. Garvey, III today for your free initial consultation at 408-293-7777.

Sources:

http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Playground-Injuries/playgroundinjuries-factsheet.htm

https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/811165