(Utica, NY- June 2013) For nine months, motorists have focused their attention on school zones, crosswalks and the route children generally take to school.\u00a0 Now that the school year has ended AAA asks that motorists turn their attention to neighborhoods and playgrounds.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important to be alert when driving throughout the day, as children are no longer in school, says Central Region Manager, Edward P. Welsh.\u00a0 Motorists should be aware that children will be playing and may dart out into traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children of all ages. One-fourth of all elementary school children who die in these crashes are pedestrians.\u00a0 Overall, one pedestrian is killed every two hours in the U.S.<\/p>\n
AAA reminds us all to use extra caution on roadways by neighborhoods, playgrounds, parks and other places where children are out playing.\u00a0 Maintaining a 20-30 second visual lead while driving allows motorists time to identify unexpected problems and execute defensive driving actions that may prevent a misfortune.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf in doubt about a possible approaching situation \u2013 slow down,\u201d said Welsh.\u00a0 \u201cBe alert to children darting from between parked cars.\u00a0 Children have a hard time judging speed and distance, so they are at greater risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
To help protect children, AAA urges everyone to be more attentive.\u00a0 Here are some tips for motorists and youngsters:<\/p>\n
MOTORISTS:<\/p>\n
Wear sunglasses and keep your windshield clear to reduce sun glare.<\/p>\n
Drive with your headlights on \u2013 even during the day \u2013 so children and other drivers can see you.<\/p>\n
Watch for children, not only in playground areas, but at unexpected places and times.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t let distractions, such as noisy children or car phones, interfere with your driving concentration.\u00a0 Pull off the road to a safe location to make phone calls.<\/p>\n
Slower speeds and a cooler temperament are a must.<\/p>\n
Make eye contact with children who are about to cross the street.\u00a0 Be aware of their next step and make sure that they are aware of yours.<\/p>\n
Be especially careful when passing ice cream trucks.\u00a0 Excited children often run into the street.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t drive when drowsy.\u00a0 Sun, surf and summer fun will tire you out more than you realize.<\/p>\n
Of course, keep yourself and your passengers safe:\u00a0 Buckle up or use an age-appropriate child care seat or booster seat.<\/p>\n
PARENTS, TEACH YOUR YOUNGSTERS TO:<\/p>\n
Never run or bicycle into the street without looking.<\/p>\n
Walk facing traffic and look left-right-left when crossing.<\/p>\n
Bicycle with the flow of traffic, and obey all traffic controls and vehicular rules of the road.<\/p>\n
Play away from traffic \u2013 use playgrounds and parks, not streets.<\/p>\n
Use reflectors on clothing and bicycles when out in twilight or darkness.<\/p>\n
Wear helmets when biking, skating or on a scooter.<\/p>\n
\u201cRemember, when school\u2019s out, children are at play,\u201d concluded Welsh.\u00a0 \u201cWhen school\u2019s out, drive carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
(Utica, NY- June 2013) For nine months, motorists have focused their attention on school zones, crosswalks and the route children generally take to school.\u00a0 Now that the school year has ended AAA asks that motorists turn their attention to neighborhoods and playgrounds. \u201cIt\u2019s important to be alert when driving throughout the day, as children are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22341],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-regional"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47547","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=47547"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47547\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=47547"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=47547"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=47547"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}