Michigan Auto Accident Attorneys

What Michigan Law Says About School Zones

A child’s playfulness, energy, and spontaneity can be charming and endearing. However, these same qualities make children especially vulnerable to car accidents near their school.

For example, a child may decide to suddenly run to say hi to their friend, chase a butterfly, or investigate a nearby object on the ground–all of which can put them in the middle of the road that you’re driving on within seconds.

To help keep children safe, the state of Michigan has laws governing vehicle traffic around schools, such as Section 257.627a. This law protects children by establishing laws around a “school zone”, which includes the school building, school property, and up to 1,000 feet from the property in every direction.

Within these school zones, there are lower speed limits to help avoid accidents and keep children safe. These reduced speed limits may be up to 20 MPH lower than the normal speed limit of the road and enforced 30 minutes before school starts and 30 minutes after school ends.

Types of School Zone Accidents

Schools can be a hive of activity, especially before and after each day’s sessions when most children are arriving or leaving.

With all of this activity, different types of accidents can quickly occur between drivers and pedestrians, other drivers, or even school buses. Kajy Law’s car accident attorneys explain what types of accidents are most common in school zones to help drivers avoid them.

Pedestrian accidents
Sadly, one of the most common accidents in school zones are pedestrian accidents. These often happen due to a child being struck while running into the road unexpectedly, while in a crosswalk, or while riding their bicycle to or from school.

These are often the most deadly types of school zone accidents, since children are shorter than adults and are often struck in the most vulnerable parts of the body such as the head or torso.

Intersection accidents
Some schools see hundreds of drivers arrive or leave the school all within the same time period, which can cause congestion that can be especially heavy at intersections.

As a result, drivers may fail to obey crossing guards, traffic signals, or stop signs and collide with other vehicles or even pedestrians.

Rear-end accidents
Sudden, unexpected stops in traffic frequently happen in school zones, especially right before or after school sessions. For example, a child may run out into the road or a bus may make an unexpected stop.

If drivers are focused only on looking for children around them, they may not be paying attention to the car in front of them or may be following them far too closely. So if that driver needs to suddenly stop, they may rear-end them.

School bus accidents
Children across Michigan rely on school buses to get them to and from school safely. However, some inattentive or speeding drivers may not be aware of one leaving a school parking lot or when they make a stop to drop off children, which can result in a collision with the bus.

How to Avoid School Zone Accidents

With how devastating an accident in a school zone can be, every Michigan driver can and should take steps to avoid them. Our attorneys have outlined these practical steps that every driver can follow to minimize the chances of school zone accidents.

Choose a route that avoids school zones
The best way to avoid an accident in a school zone is to not drive through one at all. Michigan drivers can do this by planning their route ahead of time to avoid school zones.

While this may seem inconvenient, it protects the safety of children, staff, and other drivers. It also may even save you time, since school zones have lower speed limits and often more traffic.

Avoid distractions
Imagine how furious you would be if you heard that a drunk driver drove through a school zone. Yet, studies have shown that distracted driving like driving while texting is just as dangerous as drunk driving.

That’s why drivers should never call on their phone, text, adjust the radio, eat, do their makeup, or anything else in a school zone, since these activities may take your attention away from driving for even a split second. Doing so will allow you to pay close attention to your surroundings and spot any children who may suddenly enter the roadway

Slow down
Even if you don’t see children, drivers should always slow down in school zones. Driving slower lets you stop sooner, gives the child an opportunity to get out of harm’s way, and lets you observe your surroundings better.

Not only that, but driving slower in school zones is also the law, with hefty fines awaiting drivers who speed through them.

Be alert
Drivers need to pay extra attention to their surroundings while in school zones, scanning for children on the sidewalks, on the road, in crosswalks, entering or exiting vehicles, or on their bicycles. Always be ready to stop, knowing that children may unexpectedly run into the middle of the road without cause.

Yield to pedestrians
Children rarely think of the consequences before acting. That means they may decide to cross the road where they want to instead of at the crosswalk. No matter what happens on the road or what’s going on around you, drivers should always yield to pedestrians.

Fully obey signs and crossing guards
Even if it doesn’t seem like there’s anyone around, Michigan drivers need to fully obey signs to avoid accidents near a school. This includes the adjusted speed limit signs in school zones, even though you don’t see any children present.

It’s also vital for drivers to come to a full stop at stop signs, including the one that is extended by school buses. One recent survey done by AAA revealed that 28% of drivers admitted to going around a school bus while its red lights were flashing, a scenario that can easily prove to be fatal.

In addition, many Michigan school zones have crossing guards to ensure the safety of children in crosswalks. So if you’re driving in or near a school zone, always look for crossing guards and obey their instructions for the safety of everyone.

Drive predictably
At times, accidents can happen because one driver has to suddenly react to another driver’s unexpected behavior, which can cause an accident.

But by taking basic measures such as turning your lights on to increase visibility and using your turn signals, you can drive predictably and help other drivers or pedestrians make decisions that promote safety.

Avoid backing up
According to a recent study, every week roughly 50 children are hit by a car because a driver couldn’t see them as they were backing up. Even with modern car safety equipment like backup cameras, a driver’s view of what’s behind them is far less than what’s ahead.

To avoid this from happening, try to position your car so that you can drive ahead instead of backing up. This may mean being selective about which parking spots you choose or which way you enter or exit a school’s parking lots.

Get More Information About Avoiding Motor Vehicle Accidents in Michigan School Zones

The car accident attorneys at Kajy Law are proud to call Michigan ‘home’. We love our state, and we want to do everything we can to make it the best possible place to live by helping drivers across Michigan with their car accident.

That’s why we’re happy to provide free answers to any questions you have about avoiding accidents in school zones. Simply fill out our contact form or call us today to talk with our attorneys, free of charge.

Kajy Law has helped drivers receive the largest compensation possible after their Flint car accident, Detroit car accident, or anywhere else they suffered a car accident in Michigan.

Contact Our Michigan Car Accident Attorneys Today

Our Michigan car accident lawyers know accidents. We know why they happen, what laws exist to protect victims, how insurance companies work, what accident victims need, and how to maximize your settlement.

Let us provide the answers, support, guidance, and legal representation you need to receive the maximum settlement.

Call 248-702-6641 today or fill out our contact form to set up a free accident consultation.