Sept/Oct 2008 Issue

Drive cautiously as new school year begins

As children go back to school each fall, drivers should be aware that walking and biking near roads creates special risks for youngsters who are not always aware of the dangers prevalent only a few feet from the curb.

Indeed, about 20 percent of all children between ages 5 and 9 who die in traffic crashes are pedestrians, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Children are at increased risk because their smaller size makes them difficult to see and they are often unable to judge distances and vehicle speeds accurately so they misjudge whether it’s safe to cross the street.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety offers tips that will keep the children around you safer. For instance, if you see a ball (or a toy or a dog) come flying across a street, assume a child will be running after it. Slow down or stop so you can anticipate children entering the street suddenly.
Watch for kids darting out from between cars. With so many tall vans, trucks and SUVs on the road, it’s harder than ever to see children behind vehicles.

Always remember the stop laws for stopped school buses and use extra caution around other vehicles carrying children. Children piling out of the family minivan or stepping off buses often run into the street without thinking. Observe the speed limit in school zones, and take extra caution near ball fields, in residential neighborhoods and around malls.

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Always observe stop laws for school buses and use caution near schools.

When night falls, so do seat belt usage rates, especially among younger drivers

Despite a decade of gains in daytime seat belt use, research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that nighttime belt use continues to be much lower, particularly among young drivers and passengers.

Wearing a seat belt is vital, but it’s even more important at night when the odds of being killed in a motor vehicle crash are three times greater. Yet nighttime seat belt use is often much lower than the nationwide average of 82 percent daytime belt use, according to recent NHTSA research.

In the Midwest, drivers involved in fatal crashes were more likely to be unrestrained at night than during the day. For instance, of the crash fatalities 16 and older in Illinois in 2006, 66 percent were unrestrained at night while far fewer, 41 percent, were unrestrained during the day. The results were even worse in Missouri where 80 percent didn’t have a seat belt on at night compared with 61 percent who were unrestrained during daytime fatal crashes.

The consequences of not buckling up are even more tragic among young drivers and passengers. Of the 2,926 16- to 20-year-old vehicle occupants killed at night in 2006, 68 percent weren’t wearing their seat belt. However, during the day, fewer teen motorists who died (57 percent) were unrestrained.

“Clearly, we need to do more to make people of all ages understand that–whether traveling by car, SUV or truck–a seat belt is the best way to stay alive, day or night,” said NHTSA Administrator Nicole R. Nason.

Among the other NHTSA findings were that males had higher percentages of unrestrained fatalities than females. Also, pickup truck occupants had the highest percentages of unrestrained fatalities, with more than three-fourths of the occupants not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

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VIN Etch can deter theft

As a theft deterrent, AAA will offer window etching of your vehicle’s VIN (vehicle identification number) this spring.

The cost is $30 for AAA members and $40 for non-members, including six etchings per car. AAA offers discounts on insurance for VIN Etching.

Call 1-800-AAA-ROAD ext. 6821 to make appointments at least 24 hours in advance of the below dates. Please have your VIN number handy when making reservations.

View VIN Etch dates and locations

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