Ohio School Zone Accident Lawyers

School Zone Accidents in Ohio

When you send your child to school, you expect not to have to worry about their safety. Yet every day, it seems that more and more children are incurring harm before they even enter the building. School zone accidents caused by negligent drivers are putting children in grave danger. If your child was a victim of one of these accidents, you should enlist the legal help of the school zone accident lawyers at Kisling, Nestico & Redick.

Contact us today at 1-800-HURT-NOW, or reach out online to schedule a free case consultation with one of our pedestrian accident lawyers who may help you obtain fair compensation to cover your child’s medical needs.

School Zone & Pedestrian Accident Facts

Pedestrian deaths rose a shocking nine percent in just one year. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that pedestrian deaths have reached their highest number since 1990. While many pedestrians are struck because they are walking at night, close to the road, and in dangerous areas like highways, not all of these deaths can be attributed to such variables.

In fact, people can be hit while crossing the street in safe places, such as a crosswalk or a school zone.

The state of Ohio allows a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour when driving through school zones during specific hours, including when schools are opening and closing and during recess.

A school zone is a portion of the road in front of a school and its adjacent parking lot, and it may be indicated as such through the use of signage or flashing lights. Additionally, there may be a sign that denotes the end of a school zone.

While there must be a sign indicating the beginning of a school zone, it’s important to note that Ohio law does not require schools to use signs or flashers signifying the end of such an area. That means that drivers must be aware of the hours of the day and practice caution when driving by a school in the morning, afternoon, or the end of the school day.

This law is strictly enforced; if you are caught speeding through a school zone during those hours, you could be pulled over and given a ticket that comes with a hefty fine.

If your child was injured at school because of a speeding driver, call our school zone accident lawyers today for help.

Drivers Need to Practice an Enhanced Duty of Care

Drivers need to do more than just watch their speed in school zones. While traveling through school zones, drivers are required to maintain a heightened duty of care. That’s because small children are more difficult to see and can easily dart in front of a car without warning. Kids stepping off buses may also neglect to look around for cars before darting into the street to get to the school building.

Teenagers, though older, are not always safer than children. Teens can get distracted if they’re walking and talking with friends.

Some teens also tend to wear headphones when they walk, or they text on their phones while crossing a street. Others may suddenly run in front of cars as a way of showing off for their friends.