School Zone Safety Tips for Drivers

When the leaves begin to turn and pumpkin spice products show up again at the café, this means that kids are back in school. It also means that drivers should pay close attention to school safety zone signs. School zone drivers’ safety in Minnesota should be everyone’s priority. By practicing some safe driving habits in our school zones, we can help save the lives of our children. Below, a freight services company takes an in-depth look at how to navigate school safety zones.

Planning Your Route

The best way to ensure safety for both you as a driver and the children in school safety zones is through proper route planning. If you are in hurry, simply avoid driving by any schools. School safety zones often require you by law to slow down to 20 mph or less. Even if going by the school offers the most direct route, you can save time by driving around the school area.

Another way you can plan to avoid schools safety zones is in your timing. The safety zone is enforced during school hours and, in particular, gets extremely congested during pickup and drop-off times at the beginning and end of the school day. These times can be avoided by using these routes in the very early morning or later in the evening.

Slowing Down and Stopping

If you must travel through a school zone, slow down. Follow the posted speed limit during the school hours. Slowing down will give you a better perspective on what is going on around the neighborhood. Remember to give yourself extra time to get wherever it is that you are going.

Be sure to come to a complete stop for buses, crossing guards and stop signs. Not only are you following the law, but you are stopping so that you can take in the scene before you go again. Do not begin driving until all the children have loaded onto the bus or crossed the street.

Be a Present Driver

A present driver stands in direct contrast to a distracted driver. The present driver is not talking on the phone or looking for something in the car seat. Instead, she is:

• Looking for pedestrians crossing her intended route.
• Not passing a vehicle that has stopped to allow pedestrians to cross the road.
• Aware that there is a pedestrian blind spot. She checks by turning her head around before making a left or right turn.
• Watching for children who may dart out mid-block from between parked vehicles.
• Checking to make sure no pedestrians are crossing in her path before proceeding when the light turns green.
• Especially alert for pedestrians and children when backing out of parking spaces and driveways.

If you are as concerned about school zone drivers’ safety in Minnesota as we are, we want to get to know you better. We are K-Way Express, Inc., the region’s leading freight services company. Our priority is not only to keep our children safe, but to protect your cargo. K-Way Express, Inc. is your solution to get your product to your client’s doors on time. Give us a call today!