Study places Texas at top of texting and driving near schools

Parents expect the areas near their child’s school to be safe. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. A recent study has shown that children are at high risk of encountering a distracted driver. This information can be important, if there is a car accident and evidence is needed to file a legal claim to be compensated.

A Zendrive study examined the use of phones and driver aggression, while in school vicinities. There were 4 million drivers studied and approximately 75,000 schools examined across the nation. This study showed that Texas has some of the most dangerous school areas in the U.S. The state has three of the five worst in the country. Urban schools were found to be more dangerous than their rural counterparts.

A school in Houston got the top spot and two Dallas schools are close behind, finishing third and fifth. Around 88 percent of American drivers use their phones when behind the wheel. Since one out of 11 schools are close to well-trafficked roads, the sheer volume of vehicles, as well as the dangerous activities in which drivers partake makes it likely that there will be crashes involving children. The riskiest time is in the afternoon. From 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., it is 40 percent more likely that there will be an accident than at other times. Zendrive believes that work-related traffic is a factor in this.

The study not only looked at distracted driving, but also took into account hard braking and rapid accelerating. There were more than three dozen schools in Dallas County and more than two dozen in Tarrant and Collin County that received grades of “F” for safety.

These results are troubling for parents who would like to believe that their children are relatively well protected when they are near their schools. If there is a car accident, there can be catastrophic injuries and long-term damage. If it occurred due to texting and driving or other distracted driving behaviors, this can be the key to a legal case. Discussing it with an attorney who is well-versed in car accidents is essential.

Source: dfw.cbslocal.com, “Texans Have Some Of The Worst Driving Habits Near Schools,” Sept. 14, 2017