5 Tips for Driving Safely in a School Zone
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The new year has begun, and with it, so has the 2020 Malaysian school year. Whether or not you have children of your own, odds are that you'll be driving through a school zone often. Maybe you'll be driving to drop-off or pick-up kids from school. Or perhaps you'll just be rolling through a school zone on your way to work.
Whatever the case may be, it's essential to be extra careful when going through these areas. This is because there are many more hazards in a school zone to be aware of. For example, many child pedestrians are moving about, especially before school starts or right after it ends. Because they're smaller than adults, it may sometimes be challenging to see them clearly from inside your car! On top of that, there also tends to be heavier traffic around school zones, especially with vehicles being driven by parents and school busses transporting kids.
In this article, we'll go through five tips for driving safely in a school zone. Bear in mind that in Malaysia, these tips would also be helpful around tuition centres, kindergartens, and daycare centres as well. If you think about it, traffic conditions at these locations share a lot in common with that of a school zone.
Let's look at five essential safety tips for driving in a school zone.
Pay Extra Attention
The first thing to understand about driving in a school zone is that visibility might not always be the best. This is especially true if you're driving in the morning hours while the sun is still rising. During these hours it may still be dark out, so keep your lights on and always keep your eyes on the road in front of you!
There are two things you need to be wary of. The first is all the other slow-moving vehicles that might stop to let passengers out. The second thing you need to look out for are children crossing the street. Remember: child pedestrians are smaller than adults, and that can make them more difficult to spot!
Slow Down
When driving through a school zone, take it slow! School zones usually have much lower speed limits than regular roads. Please pay attention to all the road signs in the school zone and always do as they say.
Driving slow reduces the risk of an accident taking place. It also gives you a much better chance to react to any hazards that might suddenly appear in front of your car. That way, you'll keep your passengers and the people around your car safe.
Beware Around Busses
Cars and motorcycles aren't the only vehicles that often crowd a school zone. You'll also be navigating around large school busses as well!
There are good reasons why you should be extra careful around school buses. The first and most obvious reason is their large size. When you're in a smaller vehicle, it's always best to increase your following distance behind them. School buses also tend to have more significant blind spots and limited manoeuvrability, so keeping your distance helps to reduce risks.
School buses are also transporting a lot of people at one time. So, you can expect to see large groups of children entering and exiting those buses whenever they're stopped.
This is especially true when a bus stops on the opposite side of the street from the school's entrance. When this happens, you may see a sudden flow of child pedestrians crossing the road at the same time.
Respect Road Rules
When traffic is slow, and the road is packed, some drivers might become impatient and begin to violate road rules. Some drivers may overtake cars dangerously by crossing over into opposing traffic. Others may decide to make illegal u-turns in the middle of the road to avoid a traffic jam.
Not only are these behaviours against the rules of the road, but they are also incredibly dangerous for everyone in the area! When everyone follows the rules, drivers can anticipate the movements of other vehicles around them. However, drivers who break the rules will behave in unpredictable ways, increasing the risk of a collision happening.
Remember: school zones aren't just full of cars, they're also busy with children moving all around. Follow the rules to help keep these children safe!
Be Patient
Overall, the most important thing to remember when driving in a school zone is always to be patient. Traffic jams are stressful in general, but they can be even more stressful around school zones.
Parents and bus drivers want to drop-off or pick-up their passengers safely before going on their way.
No matter if you're sending your child to school or just passing through, it's everyone's responsibility to drive safely and minimize risks when driving in a school zone.