GREENVILLE – With the 2015 school year starting and school children making there way to school, the City of Greenville Fire Department would like to remind everyone to be alert and plan for the extra time needed for children during school hours.
According to National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), the leading cause of death and injuries of children ages 2-14 are vehicle accidents. This means that on any given day nearly 700 children are harmed on the road ways. Every day in the United States, an average of four children age 14 and younger were killed and 529 were injured in motor vehicle crashes during 2008.
The school hours for the city of Greenville varies for the public and private sector generally though school starts in our area around 7:30 a.m. and ends around 3:45 p.m. Buses will begin pick up of children approximately one hour prior to school starting and one hour after school lets out.
The national Highway Transportation Safety Administration reports that from 2003 to 2012 there have been 348,253 fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Of those, 1,222 (0.35 percent) were classified as school transportation-related.
“If you are planning to transport your child this year to school remember that failure to wear your seat belt or use a safety seat contributing factor in more than half of the cases involving children who die in a car accident,” firefighter Shannon Fritz.
Take the extra time during school transportation hours to allow for the school buses to stop for the children.
Remember if school bus is stop and red lights flashing you must come to a complete stop and be aware of children loading and unloading the school bus.
Be alert at cross walks and look to make sure they are clear from pedestrians.
If you are using a child safety restraint and need assistance with installation or have question contact City of Greenville Fire Department for their child safety restraint technician.
“The City of Greenville Fire Department would like to make this a successful school year and ensure we all help make it safe for the children.”
