AAA Reminds Drivers: School is Back...

With local students now back in the classroom, AAA is reminding drivers to slow down, stay alert and anticipate shifting traffic patterns as schools resume.School’s Open, Drive Carefully is a directive that encourages slower speeds and heightened alertness on neighborhood streets, especially in school zones and near school buses, where more pedestrians and bicyclists are present. Patience is key, as the resumption of school bus routes and school-related transportation can increase congestion and extend commute times, particularly in the morning and mid-afternoon.

Every year, children are struck and killed while on their way to school, whether on foot or in a vehicle. From 2015 to 2024, there were 204 school-age children who died in school-transportation-related traffic crashes in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The majority (165) were either pedestrians, cyclists or occupants of private vehicles.  More than half (55%) of the school-age pedestrians killed over the period were between 5 and 10 years old.

“The switch from summer to school routines can be a major adjustment for everyone on the road,” said Mark Schieldrop, senior spokesperson for AAA Northeast. “Stopping and waiting for a school bus to pick up or drop off students, or driving slowly in a school zone, takes extra time, but it could save a life.”

Across the Northeast, collisions involving school buses happen all too often and frequently involve a driver colliding with a stopped school bus.In Massachusetts, between 2022 and 2025, there were more than 6,500 crashes involving school buses, according to the Massachusetts IMPACT Crash Data Portal. More than 1,600 people were injured in those crashes, and five were killed. Driver inattention was a factor in 31% of the crashes for which a contributing circumstance was reported, followed by following too closely (19%) and failing to yield right of way (18%).

Recently, an emerging trend of increased e-bike and e-scooter use on the road is changing the landscape of school-related traffic. E-bikes and e-scooters are surging in popularity, alongside a sharp increase in crashes and injuries due to their higher weights and speeds. Drivers should anticipate a greater presence of these devices around schools this year and check their mirrors more frequently.In Massachusetts, crashes involving motorized bicycles and scooters increased by more than 33% from 2024 to 2025, according to a recent AAA Northeast analysis. 

More than 90% of the nearly 900 crashes resulted in injuries, and four were fatal.

AAA Northeast offers the following tips for safe transportation during the school year:For drivers

• Watch for pedestrians when they’re facing a red light, stepping into traffic from between parked vehicles and crossing in locations not marked by a crosswalk. Even in these situations, drivers should take action to avoid colliding with pedestrians.
• If red lights are flashing on a school bus, drivers approaching from either direction must come to a full stop and remain stopped until the bus lights no longer flash. This applies to any undivided public highway, private road and even in parking lots. In some communities, school bus stop arm cameras have been deployed to catch drivers who pass stopped school buses when the lights are flashing red. Passing a stopped school bus is not only unsafe, it can lead to penalties and fines.
• Resist the urge to stop paying attention to the road and reach for your phone. Many fatal crashes are caused by distracted drivers.
• Leave earlier in the morning to resist the temptation to speed or pass stopped school buses. Taking risks to make up for lost time can have deadly consequences.
• Observe reduced speed limits in school zones and be on the lookout for crossing guards and AAA School Safety Patrollers.
• Come to a full stop and check all directions before turning right at a red light, if the turn is allowed at that intersection. Many pedestrian and bicycle crashes occur at intersections when a vehicle is turning right.

For pedestrians and other road users

• Always use crosswalks to cross the street and wait for all vehicles to stop before crossing.
• Never assume a driver is paying attention or can see you before entering a crosswalk or walking past a driveway or parking lot entrance.
• Never walk behind or along the sides of a school bus. If you can’t see the bus driver in the bus's side mirror, they can’t see you.
• Stay safe by limiting distractions. Texting while walking can impair situational awareness.

AAA Northeast is a not-for-profit auto club with offices in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire and New York, providing more than 6.8 million local AAA members with travel, insurance, finance and auto-related services.