August Means Back To School For Florida Students! Here’s How You Can Safely Navigate Traffic Changes This Season.
As August rolls around, Florida students are heading back to school, bringing a noticeable increase in traffic on the roads. The hustle and bustle of school drop-offs, buses, and young pedestrians can create challenging driving conditions, making it more important than ever to stay vigilant behind the wheel. Ensuring safe driving during this time is crucial to protecting not just your own safety, but also that of the students, parents, and other drivers sharing the road.
In this blog, we’ll give you some tips for effectively navigating all the traffic changes that this season brings, as well as help you understand your legal options for seeking compensation if a negligent driver causes you or your young student to be injured.
Understanding Traffic Changes In August
School traffic, especially during drop-off and pick-up periods, has the potential to stall and disrupt traffic patterns even miles away from the school. Whether you have a student at the school or simply have to drive through the traffic on your daily commute to work, this congestion can be extremely difficult to drive in. Moreover, the speed limit in Florida school zones is typically 15-20 miles per hour, further slowing down the flow of traffic.
Additionally, passenger vehicles aren’t the only issue to contend with – there’s also the school buses and pedestrians to consider. If a school is located in an area with many residential neighborhoods and subdivisions, it might have hundreds of students who walk, bike, or ride scooters, meaning that crossing guards are constantly having to stop traffic to let students cross roads.
Students may also have to cross the street to board their school bus. School buses make frequent stops to pick up and drop off students, adding yet another delay in traffic. Overall, the traffic changes associated with back-to-school season in Florida are significant and require an exceptional level of vigilance and attention to your surroundings.
Safe Driving Tips For School Zones
Adhering to speed limits in school zones could quite literally be the difference between life and death for a young student or other pedestrian. These limits are specifically designed to protect children during peak hours when they are arriving at or leaving school.
If you are driving in a school zone during these times, it is critical that you exercise extra caution as the presence of crossing guards, school buses, and children on foot, bikes, or scooters makes these areas particularly hazardous. Penalties for speeding in school zones are severe, including hefty fines and potential points on your driving record, giving you an extra dose of motivation to slow down and stay vigilant.
Dealing With Increased Pedestrian Activity
Traveling through areas with heavy pedestrian traffic, especially near schools, requires heightened awareness and caution. You should always be prepared to yield to crosswalks and stop for pedestrians, particularly children who may suddenly step, or ride their bike or other transportation device, into the road.
It is also common for parents walking their children to school to also bring along their other children who may not be in school yet. These much younger children may be especially unaware of the dangers of walking into, or walking too close to, the road.
You must slow down in these areas and stay alert for crossing guards and other signs and signals indicating the presence of students and other pedestrians. By anticipating sudden movements and maintaining a safe speed, you can significantly reduce the risk of accidents and ensure the safety of everyone on the road.
Avoiding Distracted Driving During School Hours
While avoiding distractions such as your phone, eating and drinking, or adjusting the radio or climate while driving is always important, it is especially so when driving near schools during pick-up or drop-off times. Distractions can hinder coordination, vision, and take a driver’s hands away from the wheel.
A moment is all it takes to cause a serious accident, and while no innocent person deserves to be in harm’s way because of the irresponsible actions of another, a young child, in particular, should be able to make it to their school and back home safely. It’s not realistic to expect children to remain on the sidewalk or follow the directions of their crossing guards one hundred percent of the time – they’re kids.
It is, however, your responsibility to be a responsible driver one hundred percent of the time, and that includes avoiding all distractions while behind the wheel.
Planning Your Commute To Avoid Congestion
If you wish to avoid the congestion and delays of school zones altogether, you can always plan a different route or time your commute to avoid the busiest traffic periods. There are plenty of navigation apps available for download which can help you find less congested routes and stay updated on school zone traffic alerts. With a bit of foresight and preparation, you can minimize delays and reduce the stress of navigating through school-related congestion.
What To Do If A Negligent Driver Causes You To Be Injured In Or Around A School Zone
If an irresponsible driver was not adjusting their driving to the heavy back-to-school traffic or was not adhering to traffic laws regarding a school zone or pedestrian crossing and injured you or your student, you may be entitled to seek compensation. You may be facing substantial medical expenses, vehicle damage, lost wages, and significant pain and suffering. As such, you have the option of filing a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company to recover the damages you incurred.
This is often a complex feat, though, as insurance companies make it difficult for victims to get paid what they deserve. They devalue the claims of victims, delay the claims process by making you jump through hoops, trick you into making statements that make it seem like you are accepting responsibility, and more, all in the hopes that you get frustrated enough to give up.
Even if they do agree to pay you, it will likely be a lowball offer that doesn’t come close to the amount you actually deserve. This is why having aggressive legal representation on your side can put you in the best possible position for facing off with the insurance company. They can gather evidence – such as police reports or witness statements – to build a strong case on your behalf and make the insurance company take you seriously.
Without a skilled attorney to assist you, you may not recover as much money as you could with one, or you may not recover a settlement at all. It’s in your best interests to seek professional aid before filing your claim so that everything is handled correctly and quickly.
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