Did you know that car accidents are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens? It’s a sad but true fact. And one of the most dangerous places for kids when it comes to being hit by a car? On or near their school grounds.
Zendrive, a road safety analytics company, recently compiled data to study driving habits around 75,000 schools across the country and the dangers to children. Using phone sensors, they measured phone use, hard braking and acceleration. They rated each state with a grade of A through F. The results were an eye-opening look into how dangerously many Americans drive around schools, one of the places where the safety of children should be a top priority.
The fact that more drivers are distracted behind the wheel is nothing new. But just how common is it? Here are four shocking statistics gathered by Zendrive’s school safety snapshot:
- One in three drivers showed unsafe pickup or drop-off behavior in school zones.
- The most dangerous time to be on or near roads in school zones was between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.
- About one in every 11 public schools nationwide is near heavy traffic such as highways.
- 94 percent of motor vehicle collisions are from human error.
- About 88 percent of drivers nationwide use their phones while driving, one study found, which increases your chance of an accident by 20 times.
All drivers can find room for improvement in their habits. Pondering these sobering statistics and making changes could prevent a horrible accident, which could be devastating to a child as well as the driver responsible.
What kinds of poor driving behavior have you noticed around Hamden schools?
