15 Safety Tips for Drivers to Avoid Accidents with Kids Walking to School or Bus Stops

Few things are as tragic as a child being hit by a car on the way to school. Unfortunately hundreds of children each year are struck by cars while walking to school and bus stops, especially in urban areas like the Sachs Waldman hometown of Detroit. This article provides 15 safety tipe for drivers to help them avoid such tragic accidents.

When children are hit by cars automobile drivers bear the bulk of responsibility in most cases. Children are easily distracted and easily forget rules for crossing streets, making them unpredicatable at times.  Drivers who aren't careful and aren't on the lookout for kids when driving through school zones and surrounding areas aren't prepared to stop and increase the liklihood of hitting a child on their way to or from school.

Parents who follow the following safety tips will minimize their risk for hitting a child while driving through schools zones and other places where children are walking or riding bikes.

Safety Tips for Drivers in School Zones and Surrounding Neighborhoods

1. Slow down and pay attention to speed limit changes when entering school zones -- drive slower than the speed limit if pedestrian traffic is particularly busy
2. Come to full stops at stop signs and obey all traffic laws 
3. Be vigilant in using turn signals to indicate your intention to  turn or change lanes 
4. Drive carefully around school busses and prepare to stop when a bus's yellow lights are flashing
5. Stop for a bus with red lights flashing -- regardless of whether the bus is traveling in same direction or coming from the other direction
6. Look out for and be aware of children walking or bicycling to school -- they may be on sidewalk or in street
7. Don't block crosswalks when stopped at an intersection - this can cause children to cross in places where other drivers can't see them and don't expect them to be
8. Be aware of bus stops along your route and be on the watch for children gathering, playing or rushing late to the bus (they may not look for traffic before crossing)
9. When backing up, whether out of a driveway or parking place, look out for children walking or biking to school -- if something obstructs your view of the sidewalk or street next to the drive, get out and check for potential pedestrian traffic, then proceed with caution
10. Don't just watch for children at crosswalks and intersections -- children are prone to crossing in the middle of the street and unexpectedly running across traffic
11. Be predictable and don't make sudden or unexpected maneuvers 
12. Don't drive distracted -- cell phones, conversations, drinking coffee, eating donuts and even listening to the radio can distract your attention enough to result in an accident
13. Always give the right of way to pedestrians -- even if you legally have the right of way
14. Be patient -- driving aggressively or being in a rush can keep a driver from noticing important details
15. Take routes that avoid busy school zones whenever possible

When Children Are Injured by Drivers

Unfortunately, not every driver adheres to the above tips and accidents involving pedestrian children still happen. Distracted or unwatchful drivers may fail to stop, or weather conditions may hamper visibility and result in striking a child pedestrian on the way to or from school.

Whenever a child is struck by a car in Michigan, the child's medical care and expenses should be covered by Michigan no-fault insurance. Even if the driver who struck the child did not have insurance, the injuries will be covered by the parents' policy or, if no other policy applies, by the Michigan Claims Department.

If injuries are severe and impair important bodily functions, either temporarily or permanently, it may also be possible to recover compensation for the child's pain and suffering and other damages through a personal injury lawsuit.

The car accident and personal injury attorneys at Sachs Waldman have helped hundreds of families recover damages related to car accidents and car-pedestrian accidents. Often we help families recover the full value of their injury medical claim against a Michigan no-fault insurance company when they attempt to deny the claim or pay less than its full value.

If a member of your family has been injured in a Michigan car accident or car-pedestrian accident, call our Detroit personal injury law office at 1-800-638-6722 to schedule a free consultation.