Auto accident study shows danger in school zones

Safety is a paramount concern in Missouri and across the nation. This is especially true in locations near schools. When drivers behave recklessly, an auto accident can occur that causes severe injuries and death. An important part of understanding the way in which drivers put others in jeopardy is through research. Keeping track of new studies regarding these issues can be important, especially after there has been a crash. One new study shows the inherent dangers in school zones.

According to the analytics company Zendrive, more than 60 percent of schools had no improvement in safety from 2017 to 2018. In slightly more than 30 percent of school zones, driver behaviors worsened. In less than 10 percent of school zones, those behaviors improved. In the research, there were more than 71,000 elementary schools, 40,000 middle and high schools, and 14,000 mixed-grade schools assessed. These encompassed 90 percent of the schools across the nation. Data of driver behaviors was then analyzed, including driving at excessive speeds, using phones while driving, accelerating aggressively and braking hard. More than nine million drivers and 10.5 billion miles were part of this data.

The data accrued allowed Zendrive to come up with safety grades. It split the study based on locations. City schools were more prone to risky driving activities. However, city schools also saw the greatest improvement. Rural locations had the fewest bad driving incidents, but they had the lowest amount of improvement.

There are few worse feelings than when a parent receives a call saying their child has been involved in a car accident. When an accident happens near a school where drivers are supposed to be safe and conscientious, it is even worse. An auto accident can lead to a long hospital stay, injuries that never heal, and the need for help to do even the most basic tasks. Having legal assistance is critical to a case and an experienced law firm can use this data as part of the litigation. Calling for help is the first thing those impacted by car accident injuries should do.