Drive safely in school zones

With kids headed back to school this week, the Texas Department of Transportation is launching its “Be Safe. Drive Smart” campaign to remind motorists to be more mindful of children walking and biking to and from school. According to TxDOT, “The most common causes of crashes in school zones are failure to control speed, driver inattention, failure to yield the right of way at a stop sign and failure to yield the right of way at a private driveway.” All of that adds up to TxDOT’s reminder to “slow down, stay alert and follow all traffic laws” in order to keep kids safe, not to mention avoiding those nasty fines and tickets. And what comes with school children? School buses, of course, which make frequent stops and need to be watched carefully for children darting out into the street after they’ve disembarked. Keep an eye out for the flashing red lights and pull over until the bus has moved on. TxDOT says 11 people were seriously injured in school zone crashes last year, “along with 1,214 crashes involving school buses across the state.” So it pays to be alert.