Keeping Children Safe in School Zones
Keeping children safe is one of the most important things a community faces. That is especially true around school zones. As the school year begins, Sacramento is tackling this problem by lowering the speed limit around schools. All drivers need to be aware of the lower limits built into Sacramento’s Vision Zero Action Plan. Let’s look at this innovative plan to keep our children safe and what drivers need to know going forward.
When a Personal Injury Attorney Is Needed
There are times in our lives when the insight of a car accident lawyer is necessary. While some minor fender benders can be resolved without the assistance of a lawyer, it is important to consult with an attorney for most other accidents. This is particularly true when a child is injured. Our investigators begin by visiting the crash site to determine how the accident happened and interview witnesses as well as obtain video footage of the incident. We also review police reports to ensure they are accurate. Once this information is garnered, our legal team reviews the data and builds a strong case against the defendant. This is used to obtain the necessary compensation from the insurance company or is presented in civil court.
Sacramento Vision Zero Action Plan
As part of Sacramento’s Vision Zero Action Plan, the efforts to keep children safe rely on the philosophy that accidents are not random. Rather, they are incidents that can be prevented by a thoughtful and well-formulated plan. This city-wide plan hopes to decrease the number of traffic accidents involving children to zero by the year 2027. Fatalities are linked to the speed limit in school zones.
Fatalities
About 100 children die each year in Sacramento going to and from school. Fifty percent of these fatalities in school zones involve children who are over 15 years old. Another 25,000 children are also injured in school zone accidents. While 20 percent of pedestrians in school zones who are injured or killed are children, the remaining 75 percent are adults. The number of children under 12 years of age who are harmed has fallen in the past few years. However, the number of fatalities for those 15 and older has increased.
New School Zone Rules
The new rules implemented to keep children safe are linked to the speed limit around a school zone. Studies have shown that when a vehicle is traveling at 30 mph, there is a 40 percent chance that a fatality will occur in a pedestrian accident. Alternately, when the vehicle is going 20 mph, there is a 5 percent chance a death will occur. In light of this, the new speed limit within 500 feet of a school zone has been reduced to 15 mph in Sacramento. There are 225 streets near 115 schools where the new speed limit would be helpful in keeping children safe. New signs are in the process of being erected, and drivers will not be charged with speeding until the signage is in place. Sign placement is working its way north after starting in South Sacramento.
Areas With the Highest Rate of Pedestrian Injuries and Fatalities
There are five areas where the highest number of pedestrian injuries and fatalities occurred in 2017 in Sacramento. They are:
- Marysville Boulevard – North Avenue to Arcade Boulevard
- El Camino Avenue – From Del Paso Boulevard to the levee trail at Steelhead Creek
- South Stockton Boulevard – Patterson Way to McMahon Drive
- Florin Road – Munson Way to 24th Street
- Broadway / Stockton Boulevard – 13th Avenue to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Sacramento Auto Wreck Attorneys
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento auto wreck attorneys. If you or your family has had a pedestrian accident, I can help you obtain the compensation you need. Call me at (916) 921-6400 or at (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice. You can also reach out to me online if that is more convenient for you.
I’ve helped numerous clients in a variety of cases such as car accidents, wrongful deaths, traumatic brain injury, and others.
To learn more about my practice, go to the following pages:
I am proud to be a member of the following organizations:
Photo Attribution: https://www.pexels.com/photo/action-activity-balls-day-296302/
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