7/27/2019 Op-Ed: School's Open Drive Carefully Around Bicyclists

1/1

Op-Ed:Schools Open Drive Carefully Around Bicyclists & Pedestrians

Every Fall, over 1.5 million students head back to schools across Michigan. With manystudents walking or biking to school, drivers are urged to be especially vigilant forpedestrians and bicyclists before and after school hours.

According to a recent research publication by the Michigan Department of Transportation,

entitled Sharing the Road: Optimizing Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety and Vehicle Mobility,approximately 27% of fatal and serious bicycle crashes take place between 3:00 pm and6:00 pm. The report also highlights that youth (ages 5-15) involvement in bicycle crashesin Michigan is higher than national statistics. The 5-15 year old age group representedabout 1/3 of the total bicycle crashes that occurred in Michigan between 2005-2010.

As [a parent, and] a member of the League of Michigan Bicyclists (LMB), I find thesenumbers startling. Our youth have many obstacles to success. Getting to school safely byfoot or bicycle shouldnt be one of those.

Physically active children tend to have better academic achievement, enhancedconcentration and better classroom behavior.

Here are several recommendations from LMB regarding ways drivers can help to keepkids safe:

Slow down. Speed limits in school zones are reduced for a reason. A pedestrian

or bicyclist struck by a vehicle traveling at 25 mph is nearly two-thirds less likely tobe killed compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling just 10 mph faster.

Come to a complete stop. Research shows that more than one-third of drivers

roll through stop signs in school zones or neighborhoods. Always come to acomplete stop, checking carefully for children on sidewalks and in crosswalksbefore proceeding.

Eliminate distractions. Research shows that taking your eyes off the road for

just two seconds doubles your chances of crashing. Children can be quick,

sometimes crossing roads unexpectedly or emerging suddenly between parkedcars. Reduce risk by not using your cell phone or eating while driving.

Reverse responsibly. Every vehicle has blind spots. Check for children on the

sidewalk, in the driveway and around your vehicle before slowly backing up.Teach your children to never play in, under, or around vehicles.

Watch for bicycles. Children on bikes are often inexperienced, unsteady and

unpredictable. Slow down and allow at least five feet of passing distance betweenyour vehicle and a bicyclist. If your child rides a bicycle to school, require that heor she wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet and to always follow the rules of theroad.

Talk to your teen. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the

United States, and more than one in four fatal crashes involving teen drivers occurduring the after-school hours of 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

For more share the road tips, please visit www.LMB.org/share. Parents, teachers, andstudents are encouraged to download or request a copy ofWhat Every Michigan BicyclistMust Knowat www.LMB.org/wembmk.

http://www.lmb.org/sharehttp://www.lmb.org/wembmkhttp://www.lmb.org/wembmkhttp://www.lmb.org/sharehttp://www.lmb.org/wembmk