School Zone Accidents

By: Heath C. Murphy + – Personal Injury

Sixteen Year Old Struck While in Crosswalk

A sixteen year old Leto High student was injured when she was hit by a car right in front of the Tampa high school.[1] Witnesses have said that she was in the crosswalk and that the driver of the car simply did not appear to see the teenager. The injured student was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries. I have written blogs about pedestrians being more cautious. It is absurd that a young lady has been injured while in a crosswalk next to a school and it is absurd that drivers should need to be reminded of the proper manner in which to drive in a school zone.

School Zone Rules for Drivers

Most school zones in Florida have a posted speed limit of 15 or 20 MPH. It is a common occurrence to see cars routinely ignore the flashing speed limit signs and exceed the posted speed limit. In addition to endangering children, exceeding the posted speed limit in a school zone can have expensive ramifications. Remember, speeding violation fines are doubled and many officers will also charge speeders with careless driving or reckless driving which could send potential fines upwards of $1,000.00. Other important safety rules to remember when driving near schools include:

1. Watch the speed limit;
2. Watch for school busses, as you are required to stop when they are loading or unloading children;
3. Eliminate distractions such as loud music, using your cell phone or day dreaming; and
4. Focus on driving, as the unexpected tends to happen within the vicinity of a school.

Child Pedestrian Safety Tips

Although this article was written primarily to alert drivers to the dangers of inattentive driving in a school zone, here are some basic tips for making sure your children are safe while walking:

1. Teach children to used sidewalks and crosswalks;
2. Teach children to use crosswalks whenever possible;
3. Teach children to look left, right and then left again before crossing any street;
4. Teach children to make eye contact with the driver before crossing in front a car, even in a crosswalk;
5. Teach children to pay attention to traffic even when they are crossing in a crosswalk;
6. Children under 10 should not cross streets without an adult; and
7. Teach your children not to used headphones or cell phones while walking. They do not need any distractions;

Contact Jones Law Group

Have you or a loved one been injured in a bicycle, pedestrian or car accident? Contact an experienced St. Petersburg personal injury attorney at Jones Law Group today. When you contact our office we will immediately set an appointment where you will meet your attorney and be provided with his/her personal contact information. If you do not have transportation or you cannot drive, your attorney will travel to meet you and discuss your case with you.

Whether you were a pedestrian, a bicyclist, or the occupant of car, motorcycle or boat and have been injured in an accident, you should immediately call an experienced personal injury attorney in St. Petersburg at Jones Law Group at (727) 571-1333 during regular business hours or (727) 753-8657 on weekends or after regular business hours. We will evaluate your case for free and you will never pay us a dime unless we recover compensation for your injuries.

Jones Law Group
5622 Central Avenue
St. Pete, FL 33707

References:

[1] http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2015/3/20/student_struck_by_ca.html