Significant Importance of Following Safety Provisions

Significant Importance of Following Safety Provisions

With only precious seconds to spare, you quickly hit the break. Unfortunately, in too many situations, it's not fast enough. Traffic accidents involving pedestrians are of serious concern. Traffic issues arouse significant emotion and public indignation when the pedestrians are school-age children or elderly adults. Parents and civic leaders are persistent in their demands for more signs, markings and signals in and around school areas. Accident statistics indicate that children are more often involved in non-school related accidents. This may indicate that the standard treatments for traffic control around school facilities are effective; following safety provisions is a contributing factor to reducing the risk of pedestrian accidents.

The California Vehicle Code Section 22358.4, states that one should slow down her/his vehicle near a school or senior center. The rule states that one should drive at a speed limit of 15 MPH and not exceed 30 MPH. According to (CA.VCS 22358.4) school warning signs indicating a speed limit of 25 miles per hour may be placed at any distance between 500 and 1,000 feet away from the school grounds. Results of studies have shown that speed limit are effective and are a great way to minimize the accidents around school zones. When a sign in California says 25 mph "when children are present" what does that mean thoroughly? If school is in session but there are no children in sight or exiting the school, is the speed limit still 25 mph, or the regular posted speed limit for that area? Speed limits are posted for reasons that will help you through your life.

When traveling through school zones, following the sped limits allows you to have the ability to stop faster. A child running out in the street chasing a ball kicked over the fence in the schoolyard is most likely to occur in those areas. If you were traveling over the speed limit you would not be able to stop as quickly and avoid hitting that child. If you are traveling down the road and you are going well over the speed limit your reaction time to any kind of incident is very slow. Speed is often a factor in incidents involving pedestrians. There have been accidents from drivers who break the law and cause a severe accident or death. If a pedestrian is hit at 40 MPH, there's a 55% chance they will die. If hit at 25 MPH, there's a 90% they will live.

Therefore, California Law: Decrease of Local Limits Near Schools or Senior Centers is a major and critical law that should be enforced and followed no matter what the circumstances are. Others may not like having to follow, but it is all there for their own safety and the safety of our pedestrians. Following safety provisions around school facilities or senior centers is a contributing factor to reducing the risk of pedestrian accidents.