00:00We teased ahead to AAA when we were talking about all the A names that we have on this show and
00:04you are just in time for this next interview. There we go. Back to school, of course, means
00:09more students on the move and school zones full of activity. So AAA is urging drivers to slow
00:14down and stay alert. Joining us is Kellen Howell from AAA. Thank you so much for being with us.
00:19And can you tell us what are the biggest dangers drivers need to watch for as kids head back to
00:25school? Well, thanks for having me. Yeah, it's really important, as you said, for drivers to slow
00:30down, put the phone away, and just be vigilant as kids are getting back to school, especially in
00:37those early morning hours as school is getting started. And again, in the afternoon, those hours
00:42from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. when kids are leaving school. And it's not just in school zones. Kids are also
00:49crossing the street on their way home. They're riding their bikes through their neighborhoods,
00:53crossing the street when they get off the school bus. So be sure to be on the lookout for those
00:59pedestrians. Slow down, come to a complete stop at crosswalks, stoplights, and stop signs,
01:05and make sure that you're stopping for school buses. Commutes can also be impacted by those,
01:10you know, school buses in the morning. So be sure to give yourself some extra time when you're leaving
01:14so that you're not rushed and stressed when you're trying to get to work or get where you need to go in
01:19the morning. Now, what should drivers know about AAA school safety patrollers and their role near
01:25schools? Well, AAA school safety patrol is a program that's been around for over 100 years. And
01:31you can recognize those students who are members of the safety patrol by the reflective sashes that
01:36they wear. It's important to keep in mind that their job is not to direct traffic. It's actually to
01:42help their fellow students safely cross the street to protect them from any potential road hazards.
01:48So if you see a school safety patroller, chances are good that you're in a school zone or about to
01:53be in a school zone. So first and foremost, slow down, come to a complete stop at a crosswalk,
01:59and then look, you know, double check for pedestrians or any kiddos that might be crossing the street
02:04before you hit the gas again. You just unlocked a memory. We called them safeties at our school,
02:09and I was never a safety. But like, if you were a safety, you were so cool, like with the sash. Oh,
02:14my gosh, amazing. Totally forgot about that. Thank you. All right. How can teen drivers stay safe
02:18during those high risk after school hours? Yeah, definitely. With teen drivers, we want parents
02:24to be talking to their teens about the importance of, again, being vigilant when they're behind the
02:29wheel, putting the phone away. We know teens a lot of times, you know, they're there have very active
02:35social lives and they're trying to catch up with their friends after school. But it's really important
02:39when they're behind the wheel to put the phone away, put it on. Do not disturb. Don't even have it
02:43in sight. Another thing that parents can talk to their teens about is any boundaries they want to
02:49set around how many other passengers teens might have in the car with them. You know, some teen
02:54students might want to carpool after school, but we know studies show that their risk of a crash
02:59actually increases with each teen passenger that they have in the car. So parents might want to talk
03:05with your teens about whether or not you are comfortable having them giving other teens a ride.
03:11And you mentioned this a little bit, but could you go into just a little bit more depth about
03:15what people need to know outside of school zones, what these drivers can be doing to make sure kids
03:21are staying safe in their neighborhoods, on bikes, when they're walking, anytime that you see them?
03:28Absolutely. A lot of the same rules that we talked about in school zones apply outside of school
03:32zones to slowing down, putting the phone away. But like you said, there are a lot of kids who are
03:38commuting to school, like taking the bus or riding their bikes. If you see kids in neighborhoods
03:44riding bikes, definitely want to give them at least three feet of space, you know, slow down,
03:49don't put too much pressure on them. If you are reversing out of your driveway in a neighborhood
03:54where there might be kids, you want to make sure to double check before you start backing up because
03:58you never know if there might be a kiddo going behind you on a bike or walking on their way
04:02to school. So these are all really important things to keep in mind. And then last, of course,
04:08but certainly not least, is stop when you see school buses with those red flashing lights. You
04:13know, a lot of times we're just looking for that retractable stop sign on a school bus, and
04:17that might not always be a good thing to look out for. They can break down sometimes. If you see a
04:22school bus stop with its lights flashing, you need to stop too, and you need to watch out for any kids
04:27crossing the street.
04:28Kellan Howell from AAA, helping us stay safer during this upcoming school season. Thanks again
04:32for joining us.
04:34Thanks for having me.
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