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Drivers
urged to use extra caution around school zones and buses as more
than 2 million Illinois kids head back to the classroom 
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Message
boards programmed to remind motorists school is back in session
[August 28, 2007]
SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois
State Board of Education and Illinois Department of Transportation
are reminding drivers to be extra cautious on the roadways as more
than 2 million students head back to school. The Illinois Department
of Transportation will be flashing messages on its changeable
message boards reminding drivers that school is back in session.
Last year, nearly 100 children between the ages of 5 and 18 were
killed and nearly 12,000, mostly within the same age range, were
injured in crashes in which they were either a passenger, pedestrian
or on a bike.
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 "The end of summer means that buses will be on the road and students
will be walking or riding their bikes to school," said Christopher
Koch, state superintendent of education. "It means that drivers will
need to pay attention and look for school buses and watch for
students, especially in the morning and afternoon, in and around
school zones."The Labor Day weekend marks the traditional end of
summer and start of the school year throughout Illinois. During the
weeks surrounding the Labor Day holiday weekend, the Illinois
Department of Transportation has agreed to display the message "Kids
are Back in School, Give Them a Brake," reminding motorists that
school is beginning. IDOT has 55 changeable message signs throughout
the state.
"Kids are changing their routines, and drivers will need to
change theirs as school starts throughout the state. They'll need to
slow down in school speed zones and stop when they see a bus with
its lights flashing and arm extended," said Milt Sees, acting
secretary of the Department of Transportation. "It only takes a
split second for a tragedy to occur. We want drivers to remember
more kids are going to be out on the streets, especially in the
morning and afternoons. Please, look out for them."
Last year, 92 children between the ages of 5 and 18 were killed
in automobile crashes, an increase of seven from 2005. In 2006,
11,748 children in this age group were injured in crashes, an
increase of nearly 400 from 2005. In 2006, two people were killed
and 325 injured in 2,066 crashes involving school buses, compared
with seven people killed and 352 injured in 2,363 crashes the year
before.
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Tips for back-to-school driving:
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Speed limit in a
school zone is 20 mph on school days between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.
when children are present and signs are posted.
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A school zone is a
no-passing zone.
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A driver must
yield the right of way to a pedestrian in a marked or unmarked
crosswalk on the driver's side of the roadway when there are no
traffic control signals.
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A driver must
yield the right of way when a person is walking with a green
light or entered a crosswalk before the traffic signal changed.
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Drivers must stop
before passing a school bus when it is loading or unloading
passengers and must remain stopped while the signal arm is
extended and lights are flashing. It is not necessary to stop
when you are traveling in the opposite direction of a stopped
school bus on a roadway with four or more lanes. However, you
should use caution.
[Text from file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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