The Danger of Walking to School

The numbers can strike fear in the hearts of parents who watch their kids head to school on foot: over the past 7 years, 262 youngsters were hit by vehicles in Portage and Summit counties. In those Ohio pedestrian accidents, 190 school-age kids were injured — 58 of the injuries were serious. Two children lost their lives in the crashes.

Last year, the number of kids hit by vehicles in the two counties during school hours shot up 54 percent, from 13 accidents in 2013 to 20 accidents last year.

Some of our readers might recall that two years ago, the Beacon Journal analyzed traffic data and reported that students are 3.3 times more likely to be struck by a motor vehicle in Akron than in the suburbs.

October is the most dangerous month, according to the newspaper, and September is the second most dangerous. The riskiest times of day: when school days begin in the morning and end in the afternoon.

Perhaps the best advice for drivers comes from a school nurse: “Slow down,” she says. “Stop texting. Pay attention.” Her guidance is as valuable as it is to-the-point. If followed by drivers using routes near schools, it would undoubtedly reduce the number of pedestrian accidents.

When weather turns bad, risks to students become even greater. Last year, there were 15 pedestrian crashes involving students during inclement weather. In 7 of those incidents, drivers fled the scene before law enforcement arrived — indicating that they realized they had been going too fast for conditions.

At Kisling, Nestico & Redick, we help parents pursue full compensation for the damage needlessly done to their children by negligent drivers. Please see our pedestrian accident attorneys page for more information about how we serve clients throughout Ohio.