Pittsburgh, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and AAA East Central, today held a back to school safety event at Westview Elementary School urging motorists to slow down and stay alert this upcoming school year.

Westview Elementary is considered a walking school, meaning the school does not use school buses to transport students to and from school daily. Students are either driven to school or they walk. This results in many more pedestrians on the road in the Westview Borough community and other like it. 

Westview Police and a crossing guard for the school district were also on site to support the event. Throughout the state, law enforcement and crossing guards alike make pedestrian safety a top priority.

Law enforcement sees too many vehicles speeding in residential areas, and even more dangerous, in school zones. Not only does this put the motorist’s life at risk, but also the pedestrians and crossing guards who work hard to keep them safe.

According to PennDOT data, between 2016 and 2020 there were 19, 213 pedestrian crashes state-wide. These crashes resulted in 823 fatalities. To combat these statistics, the safety partners warn motorists to be especially attentive for pedestrians before and after school hours.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety also found, a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 20 miles per hour is about two-thirds less likely to be killed as compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 30 miles per hour. A 10 miles per hour difference can save a life.

Motorists are reminded to avoid distractions while driving and focus on pedestrians approaching the crosswalk or school zone. Drivers should allow additional time in residential neighborhoods and be extremely alert when backing up, checking for children around the vehicle and making complete stops at stop signs.

Parents are also urged to share the following safe walking tips with their children including,

the importance of staying alert while crossing the street, using crosswalks, and following direction from any available crossing signals or crossing guards. If students are riding a bus to school, they should only cross in front of the bus and never chase after it. Finally, all pedestrians should look both ways before crossing the street and make eye contact with any motorists approaching to ensure they are seen.

For more information on pedestrian safety, visit www.penndot.gov/safety.

For regional PennDOT twitter updates, visit 511PAPittsburgh.

MEDIA CONTACT: Yasmeen Manyisha, 412-429-5044

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