Jessica Mathews / newsz2whmi.com


It’s that time of year again. With summer mostly in the rearview mirror and kids back to school, AAA Michigan is urging motorists to stay alert.

While students in most local districts returned to classes in August before the Labor Day holiday, others, including in Brighton Area Schools, headed back today.

The AAA Auto Club Group is again providing guidance for parents of young pedestrians, as part of its “School’s Open Drive Carefully” campaign.

Area residents and motorists should get ready for heavier traffic than normal, especially at first, since a lot of parents like to drive their kids to campus during the first few days back.

AAA Spokeswoman Adrienne Woodland told WHMI it’s a good idea to budget an extra half hour for your morning commute. She said that’s important because drivers who are running late are more likely to speed and take unnecessary risks while behind the wheel - which endangers everyone on the roadway.

According to a recent AAA survey, more than half of Michiganders typically drive through a school zone (57%) or pass a school bus stop (53%) on their normal driving route. 40% admitted to speeding in an active school zone and 26% admitted to using their hand-held cell phone while driving in active school zones.

Woodland said school zones and bus stops have not been active for the past couple of months so drivers will need to adjust their morning habits. She reminds to slow down and watch for young students near traffic lanes, because they may not be watching for you.

Woodland said when driving through an active school zone, it’s extremely important to lower your speed and raise your awareness.

Nationwide, nearly 1 out of every 5 children age 14 and younger who dies in a traffic crash is a pedestrian. AAA noted while it’s important for drivers to exercise caution, pedestrians have a shared responsibility for staying safe.

Woodland said distracted pedestrians can be just as consequential as a distracted driver. She said now is an important time to talk to students about the rules of the road and ways to stay safe. Woodland added to discourage them from wearing earbuds or looking down at digital devices while standing or walking near traffic lanes as they may not be able to detect an approaching vehicle.