Back-To-School Safety: Tips Every Driver Needs to Know

When the school year begins, neighborhoods and school zones become more congested as students, parents and school buses return to their daily routes. Staying alert to school traffic safety laws and risks in these areas is essential to preventing accidents and avoiding potential increases in your insurance premium.

Back-to-school safety refers to the driving habits, school zone laws and pedestrian safety practices that help protect students, parents, school staff and motorists throughout the school year.

Keep reading to learn about school zone traffic laws, common driving hazards near schools, how traffic violations can affect your auto insurance rates and the back-to-school safety tips that can help keep everyone safer.

Why Back-To-School Season Increases Driving Risks

Back-to-school season brings increased risks on the road, which can lead to more accidents. Some of the factors that make back-to-school more dangerous for both drivers and pedestrians include:^[1]

• Larger traffic volume: Roads may become more congested due to an increase in school buses and parents driving children to school. The more vehicles on the road, the greater the risk of an accident.^[2]
• Changing traffic patterns: New school drop-off routes, temporary traffic controls and increased crossing guard activity can create unexpected driving conditions, especially during the first few weeks of school.
• Impatient drivers: Lower speeds in school zones, along with stop-and-go traffic, can make some drivers more impatient and increase the risk of accidents.
• Distracted drivers: Parents and other drivers may be distracted by their phones or kids while waiting to pick up or drop off their children, which can lead to an accident.
• Teen drivers: Teen drivers, who may have just started driving or haven't driven much during summer break, may be at greater risk of causing an accident because they have less driving experience. Teen drivers are also more likely to speed, fail to obey traffic safety laws or become distracted, all of which increases the risk of an accident.
• Increased pedestrians and cyclists: More students may walk, bike or ride scooters to school once the school year begins. Because pedestrians and cyclists don't always obey traffic laws, it's important to drive defensively and stay alert to help prevent injuries and accidents.
• Reduced visibility and changing weather: Depending on where you live, back-to-school season often coincides with dimmer morning light and earlier sunsets, which can make it more difficult to see other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.

Essential Back-To-School Driving Safety Tips

Driving through school traffic requires constant awareness, patience and caution around both pedestrians and other vehicles. With frequent stops for school buses, merging traffic during pick-up and drop-off times and unpredictable foot traffic, reckless driving can lead to serious accidents, injuries or even fatalities.

While student pedestrian traffic is heaviest during the school year, many schools also host extracurricular activities and events year-round, so school zone safety should always be a priority. Here are some school traffic safety tips to help protect yourself, other drivers and students while driving through school zones.

Slow Down in School Zones

School zone speed limits are lower to help protect students and crossing guards during arrival and dismissal times. These zones often extend between 200 and 500 feet from school grounds or crosswalks and are clearly marked by road signs or monitored by traffic officers.^[3]

School zone speed limits typically range from 15 to 25 mph. At these speeds, a pedestrian struck by a vehicle has only a 10% chance of severe injury or death. But once speed increases, the risk rises sharply — at 30 mph, the risk jumps to 40%, and at 40 mph, it rises to 80%.^[4][5] This means even lowering your speed by just 5 mph could help reduce the risk of a dangerous accident.

School traffic laws are designed to keep drivers alert and focused on pedestrians and surrounding vehicles. Following these laws helps you avoid tickets, liability claims and serious injuries.

Eliminate Distractions

You should do your best to avoid any distractions while on the road, including using your cellphone for calls or checking text messages. Driving while using a cellphone to make calls or text is illegal in several states. Even in states where it's otherwise allowed, many prohibit cellphone use specifically in school zones, including Arkansas, Florida and Texas.^[6]

As much as parents may want to check in with their children before dropping them off or picking them up, it's best to avoid distracting conversations until you're out of the school zone and safely parked. Teen drivers should also minimize distractions by lowering the volume of their music and keeping conversations with passengers to a minimum. Avoid adjusting navigation systems or GPS devices while driving.

Watch for Children Everywhere

Smaller children crossing at crosswalks can be harder to see from the driver’s seat, especially in larger vehicles. Leave enough space when stopping at a crosswalk to ensure there are no pedestrians in front of you before moving forward. When approaching a crosswalk, look for crossing guards and obey their signals at all times.

Some younger children may not follow traffic laws or be fully aware of their surroundings, so drivers must be especially alert.

Be Extra Careful During Drop-off and Pickup

Children may be moving between or around vehicles during drop-off and pickup, so take extra precautions to avoid accidentally striking a student or parent.

Additionally, many drivers may be maneuvering around vehicles that are parking or driving slowly in a drop-off or pickup area, so drive cautiously and leave plenty of space between vehicles. Crashes are three times more likely during pick-up and drop-off hours, so avoid making reckless decisions, even if you're in a hurry to get your child to an activity or return home.^[7]

At bus stops, always obey school bus laws and never pass a stopped school bus while it is loading or unloading children.

Stay Alert in Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods may see more children traveling to and from school, so remain alert even when there isn't much visible traffic. In neighborhoods with street parking, children may suddenly step out from between parked vehicles, so drive cautiously until you reach a roadway where normal speeds are appropriate.

School Bus Safety Rules Every Driver Should Know

Driving near school buses requires following specific safety rules to help prevent accidents and comply with the law:

• Even if you’re in a rush, never pass a stopped school bus while it is loading or unloading students. It’s illegal in every state and may result in fines ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars.^[8]
• School buses typically flash yellow warning lights to indicate they are preparing to stop and load or unload children at bus stops. Take this as a signal to slow down and proceed with caution.^[9]
• Red flashing lights and an extended stop arm signal that the bus is actively loading or unloading students, at which point it is illegal to pass. Always wait until the red lights stop flashing, the stop arm retracts and the bus begins moving again before continuing to drive.^[9]
• Children often cross in front of the bus or may behave unpredictably. From 2015 to 2024, 15% of school bus-related fatalities involved pedestrians, including children waiting at the stop or getting on or off the bus.^[10] For this reason, leave at least 10 feet between your vehicle and a stopped school bus — the area immediately around the bus is the most dangerous for students entering or exiting.^[8]
• Wait until every pedestrian has safely crossed and the bus begins moving before proceeding, as children may suddenly appear in your blind spots.

Teen Driver Safety Tips During the School Year

Even confident teen drivers face a higher risk of accidents because they have less driving experience and may underestimate the dangers of risky driving behaviors.^[11] Below are a few tips that teen drivers should consider to help them stay safe and avoid accidents once they start the new school year.

New Driving Routines

Teen drivers may not be familiar with driving in the earlier or later hours, which could have different traffic volumes than what they expect. Try to leave at least 10 minutes earlier than you normally would to help avoid rushing, especially if you run into traffic that could make you late for class.^[11]

Cellphone Use

Avoid using your cellphone at all while driving, even if you’re anticipating an important text or call. Text messaging while driving can increase your risk of a crash by as much as 23 times as normal, because your eyes are off the road.^[12] If you need to respond to a text, wait until you’re able to safely pull over or have reached your destination.

Passenger Distractions

You should limit distractions from other passengers, which could draw your attention away from the road. Let friends, parents and other passengers know you can't have distracting conversations while you're driving.

Defensive Driving

Drive defensively by anticipating potential hazards where you could be at risk of getting in an accident. Follow the speed limits, ensuring you yield to other drivers and use your turn signals to let others know your next move. Avoid tailgating drivers in front of you and don’t let yourself get boxed in by other vehicles on multi-lane roads.

Curfews

While you may feel like a curfew puts a damper on your social life, driving during late hours when there’s more limited visibility can increase the risk of getting into an accident. Headlights will only reveal so far in front of you, and even high-beams typically only illuminate the next 500 feet of road, so any debris, pedestrians, or other vehicles that are stopped in front of you could pose a significant collision risk.^[13]

Practice With Parents

Your parents can often give you regular tips and advice for driving safely. Get plenty of practice with them or another trusted adult to help you become more familiar with the rules of the road.

School Traffic Safety Tips for Parents

Parents should consider these traffic safety tips once school is back in session:

• Stay alert when driving through school zones, even during weekends and evenings, as students may be in the area for extracurricular activities. Drive a little below the posted speed limit whenever conditions warrant, even if you don't immediately see children nearby.
• Child passengers 12 and under should ride in the backseat, where it’s safer in the event of a collision.^[14]
• Make sure infant and child safety seats are installed properly, as they help reduce the risk of serious injury or death in a crash.
• Check your blind spots when in a drop-off or pick-up zone.
• Always make sure you and every passenger wear a seat belt.
• Ensure your children always cross the street in front of a bus after being let off, and that they are at least 10 feet in front of the bus to ensure the driver sees them. Remind your kids never to cross behind a bus or crawl under it to grab a dropped item, as this puts them out of view of the driver and could lead to serious injury.^[14]
• When crossing the street, ensure you and your kids use marked crosswalks and look left, right and left again before crossing — even if there is a lit crosswalk sign.
• Talk with your children about their commute and encourage them to tell you if they ever feel unsafe during pick-up, drop-off or while riding the school bus.

School Traffic Safety at a Glance

Below is the essential information you should know about school traffic safety:

• Driving safely and cautiously through school zones and during back-to-school season can help you avoid accidents and keep yourself and your passengers safe.
• Teen drivers are at a higher risk of accidents due to less experience behind the wheel, but they can still drive safely by avoiding distractions and practicing defensive driving.
• Follow all school bus laws and safety rules, such as never passing a stopped school bus that is loading or unloading children, or you could risk injuring someone and may face a ticket.
• Take extra care during pickup and drop-off, as there’s a greater risk of accidents.

How Car Insurance Helps During Back-To-School Season

While minimum car insurance is required in nearly every state, ensuring you have enough coverage can protect you if you get into an accident.^[15] You may also want to consider optional coverage, such as collision insurance, which can help pay to repair your vehicle after a covered accident, such as hitting another vehicle when moving out of a drop-off zone too abruptly. Uninsured motorist coverage can also cover repairs if you’re hit by someone who doesn’t have insurance and may also cover a hit-and-run, which could happen in a congested pickup or drop-off area.