As summer comes to a close, it is time to start thinking about kids returning to school. Even if you do not have children, kids going back to school can have a significant impact on your daily driving.
When school starts, you may begin to notice more vehicles on the road and younger drivers making their way to school. While no one intends to cause an accident, congested roadways and inexperienced drivers can lead to crashes on the road.
Here’s what can make school season a more dangerous time to drive.
More drivers on the road
When school starts, it increases the number of people on the road during peak driving times. The school year means more teachers, parents and teen drivers are on the road in the morning and afternoon, when you may be driving to or from your workplace.
Teens with places to go
While some teenagers have summer activities, they have fewer places to be during the summer than during the school year. When school starts, teens are coordinating their school schedule with sports and other activities.
In addition to having more time on the road, the extra items on the agenda mean that these students are more likely to be drowsy and distracted drivers.
Teenagers who can drive are also likely to have friends who cannot. Rather than younger teens getting rides from adults, they will turn to their older friends. Passengers can be a significant distraction for all drivers. Still, when inexperienced teen drivers have passengers, it can be a dangerous combination.
When school starts, and you start to notice more traffic on the roads, it is important to leave more room between you and other vehicles. More space can give inexperienced drivers more time to react to changes in traffic.