(Omaha) AAA reminds motorists and students that the back-to-school commute creates one of the busiest and most unpredictable traffic environments of the year.
Brian Ortner, spokesman for AAA, says as students return to the classroom, drivers will encounter heavier traffic around schools; increased pedestrian activity; school buses make frequent stops; and e-bike and e-scooter riders traveling to and from schools.
Ortner reminds students to cross at marked crosswalks whenever possible, stay alert, and avoid phones when walking near traffic and crossing streets; make eye contact with drivers before crossing a roadway; use designated crosswalks and bus loading areas; and follow school safety rules for bicycles, e-bikes, and scooters.
The National Traffic Safety Administration recorded 7,080 pedestrian deaths and more than 71,000 pedestrian injuries nationwide in 2024. A particularly common pedestrian crash situation occurs when a vehicle turns at an intersection and fails to yield to someone crossing.
