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Sarasota Car Accident Attorney > Blog > Personal Injury > Practice School Bus Safety to Prevent Personal Injury Accidents in Sarasota

Practice School Bus Safety to Prevent Personal Injury Accidents in Sarasota

Injury Law Firm Florida

Sarasota students resumed school in August. This means there is more traffic in the Sarasota area. Unfortunately, driver negligence has become a frequent occurrence in school zones and within the presence of school buses. For this reason, Hale Law offers some tips to practice school bus safety in order to prevent personal injuries from occurring.

School Bus Statistics

Although the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that the school bus is the safest vehicle on the road, these statistics reveal the importance of practicing school bus safety:

  • School buses transport more than 25 million children to and from school each year.
  • From 2008 to 2017 there were 1,113 school transportation related crashes.
  • More than 104,000 school bus drivers saw 77,972 vehicles illegally passing school buses on a daily basis in 2017, states the National Conference of State Legislatures.

School Bus Safety Best Practices

Following these safety best practices from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will save lives and prevent accidents and death:

  • Stop

All vehicles must stop when approaching a school bus that’s stopped with flashing red lights and stop arms extended.

On a two-lane road, vehicles must stop for a school bus stopped with flashing red lights and stop arms extended, no matter the direction the vehicle is traveling.

Vehicles on multi-lane roads must stop for school buses stopped with flashing red lights and stop arms extended, regardless of the direction of travel.

When traveling on a divided highway, vehicles behind the bus must stop when the bus has flashing red lights and stop arms extended. Vehicles in the opposite direction should exercise caution when proceeding.

  • Watch

Vehicles must look and watch for students in school zones, parking lots, and bus stops. Additionally, drivers of vehicles must look for and be aware of children walking and riding bicycles in residential areas. Drivers should also pay attention to signs and signals from school crossing guards.

  • Slow

Drivers must slow their speed in residential areas and school zones. School zones in Sarasota are 15 miles per hour. Drivers need to give themselves plenty of time to reach their desired locations in order to prevent speeding.

Hands-Free Driving in School Zones

It is important to note that drivers should not talk on the phone or hold their phone in school zones. As of October 1, law enforcement began issuing warnings to drivers found using or holding their cell phone in active school zones and crosswalks.

On January 1, 2020, Sarasota Police Department will give a $60 ticket to violators, which may result in three points on a driver’s license, according to a report by WWSB News 7.

Let Us Help You Today

If you receive injuries due to someone’s negligence or failure to follow the new hands-free law, give the Sarasota personal injury attorneys at Hale Law a call for a free attorney consultation at 941-735-4529. There’s no fee unless we recover for you.

Resources:

mysuncoast.com/2019/10/01/new-hands-free-driving-law-is-effect-what-this-means-florida-drivers/

sarasotapd.org/Home/Components/News/News/1599/1458

ncsl.org/research/transportation/school-bus-safety.aspx

crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812712

https://halelaw.com/how-insurance-companies-work-to-deny-your-sarasota-personal-injury-claim/

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