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As students head back to classrooms across the United States, new reminders from AAA clubs and recent safety research highlight heightened crash risks around school zones, school buses, and teen drivers during the busy drop-off and pick-up hours.
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Seasonal traffic shift brings higher exposure for children
Each fall, more than 55 million children travel to and from school across the United States by car, bus, bicycle, and on foot, significantly increasing the number of young road users near neighborhoods and major corridors. Publicly available AAA safety materials emphasize that this seasonal shift brings sharper congestion around campuses and bus stops, especially during early-morning and mid-afternoon peaks.
AAA’s long-running “School’s Open – Drive Carefully” campaign, now in its seventh decade, underscores that child pedestrian injuries and deaths historically spike during back-to-school periods. Campaign resources note that children are less visible due to their smaller size, may be unpredictable in traffic, and are often distracted as they walk, bike, or exit vehicles near schools.([westerncentralnyaaa.com](https://westerncentralnyaaa.com/news-room/schools-open-drive-carefully-life-saving-message-79-years?utm_source=openai))
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data highlighted in recent AAA-backed guidance, hundreds of children were killed in school-transportation-related crashes between 2008 and 2017, underscoring that risks extend beyond school zones to the full trip to and from campus.([csaa-insurance.aaa.com](https://csaa-insurance.aaa.com/content/aaa-ie/b2c/en/primary-nav/tips/auto-tips/back-to-school-driving.html?utm_source=openai))
Regional AAA communications for the 2025–26 school year report that the first days of classes typically bring sharp increases in local traffic volumes, which can catch some drivers off guard after quieter summer commutes. These patterns intensify conflicts at crosswalks, driveways, and unsignalized intersections near schools.([newsroom.acg.aaa.com](https://newsroom.acg.aaa.com/michigan-aaa-shares-the-abcs-of-traffic-safety-as-students-return-to-school/?utm_source=openai))
Distracted driving and speeding remain leading concerns
Recent advisories from several AAA clubs single out driver distraction and speed as persistent threats as schools reopen. A 2025 back-to-school notice from the Auto Club of Southern California points to state crash data showing more than 80 fatalities and over 8,500 serious injuries in a single year in California alone that involved distracted driving, illustrating how mobile phone use, in-car screens, and other diversions can turn routine school runs into high-risk trips.([news.aaa-calif.com](https://news.aaa-calif.com/news/back-to-school-means-more-kids-on-the-road-auto-club-urges-drivers-slow-down-put-the-phone-down-and-save-a-life?utm_source=openai))
AAA guidance echoes broader national research linking small increases in speed to significantly higher risk of severe injury for pedestrians, particularly children. Safety materials aimed at back-to-school drivers stress the importance of strictly observing posted school-zone limits and reducing speed further whenever children are present, especially during arrival and dismissal windows.
Publicly available AAA surveys show that a substantial share of drivers acknowledge risky behaviors near schools, including using phones behind the wheel or attempting to pass school buses that are loading or unloading students with lights flashing and stop arms extended. One regional AAA report noted that roughly one in five respondents admitted to driving around an active school bus, a violation that can have severe consequences if a child is crossing the roadway.([newsroom.acg.aaa.com](https://newsroom.acg.aaa.com/michigan-aaa-shares-the-abcs-of-traffic-safety-as-students-return-to-school/?utm_source=openai))
National safety culture research published by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety in recent years indicates that while most drivers express support for strict traffic laws, actual self-reported behavior often diverges from those views. Analysts suggest that linking everyday driving decisions to concrete potential outcomes, such as the risk of injuring a child walking to school, can be a powerful motivator for compliance with speed limits, crosswalk rules, and bus stop laws.([newsroom.aaa.com](https://newsroom.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2024_TSCI_Final_Report.pdf?utm_source=openai))
School buses, crosswalks, and pick-up lanes emerge as hot spots
AAA materials focused on the 2025 back-to-school season highlight specific locations where crash risk tends to rise: school bus stops, mid-block drop-off points, and campus driveways where drivers are often impatient or distracted. According to summaries of federal data cited in AAA guidance, nearly one-third of child pedestrian fatalities occur during after-school hours, when students are walking home, riding bikes, or playing near traffic.([news.aaa-calif.com](https://news.aaa-calif.com/news/back-to-school-means-more-kids-on-the-road-auto-club-urges-drivers-slow-down-put-the-phone-down-and-save-a-life?utm_source=openai))
Reports aimed at parents and caregivers emphasize that children may assume drivers see them at crosswalks or between parked cars, even in low light or poor weather. AAA recommends that adults practice walking routes to school with younger children, identify safer crossings with signals or crossing guards, and avoid mid-block drop-offs that require a child to cross multiple lanes of traffic.
Within school parking lots and pick-up lanes, safety bulletins advise drivers to remain in designated loading zones, follow staff direction, and avoid passing stopped vehicles, since a child could unexpectedly step out of a car or between cars. Congestion during the first weeks of school often leads to improvised maneuvers, such as U-turns or curbside double parking, which AAA guidance identifies as common contributors to close calls and low-speed crashes.([southjersey.aaa.com](https://southjersey.aaa.com/traffic-safety/school-open-drive-carefully?utm_source=openai))
For families that live farther from campus, AAA and affiliated insurers recommend planning extra travel time at the start of the term, both to account for heavier traffic and to reduce the pressure that can tempt drivers to speed or roll through crosswalks and stop signs. Guidance also encourages motorists with flexible schedules to avoid peak arrival and dismissal periods when possible.
Teen drivers face elevated crash risk during school commute
As high schools and colleges reopen, researchers note that teen drivers are among the groups at greatest risk during daily commutes. Car crashes remain a leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States, and AAA analyses point to inexperience, distraction, and peer passengers as key factors. Recent AAA content directed at families preparing to send a car to college emphasizes that many first-year students will be driving in unfamiliar environments with heavier traffic and complex campus patterns.([mwg.aaa.com](https://mwg.aaa.com/via/car/taking-car-college?utm_source=openai))
A May 2025 study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety examines how novice drivers behave on the road and how their parents perceive those behaviors, with the goal of identifying where additional training or supervision might improve safety. Findings are intended to support targeted interventions for young drivers, including those who regularly drive themselves and siblings to school.([aaafoundation.org](https://aaafoundation.org/research/novice-and-teen-drivers-nature-patterns-and-habits/?utm_source=openai))
AAA-backed advice encourages families to set clear rules for teen drivers during the school year, such as limiting passengers, prohibiting mobile phone use, and reinforcing adherence to school-zone speed limits. Articles directed at parents note that conversations about route planning, parking, and what to do in case of congestion or delays can help reduce impulsive decisions when traffic backs up around campus entrances.([mwg.aaa.com](https://mwg.aaa.com/via/car/taking-car-college?utm_source=openai))
Experts also point to the importance of vehicle readiness. Notices from AAA clubs recommend that families ensure brakes, tires, and lights are in good condition before the term begins, especially for vehicles that will carry multiple young passengers or travel on long highway commutes to colleges and regional high schools.([info.oregon.aaa.com](https://info.oregon.aaa.com/preparing-your-teen-for-back-to-school-driving/?utm_source=openai))
Safety campaigns and resources target drivers and families
AAA’s back-to-school messaging is supported by a mix of public awareness campaigns, educational materials, and community-based programs that aim to encourage safer behavior around schools. The national “School’s Open – Drive Carefully” initiative, which dates to 1946, remains a centerpiece, with signage, local outreach, and digital content reminding drivers to slow down and watch for children as classes resume each year.([southjersey.aaa.com](https://southjersey.aaa.com/traffic-safety/school-open-drive-carefully?utm_source=openai))
AAA’s School Safety Patrol program, which involves hundreds of thousands of student volunteers nationwide, is another pillar of the organization’s approach. Public information describes how patrol members help classmates cross streets safely, monitor drop-off areas, and support broader traffic-safety culture in and around schools.([acg.aaa.com](https://www.acg.aaa.com/drivers-safety/aaa-student-learning.html?utm_source=openai))
For parents and caregivers, AAA-affiliated insurers and safety sites provide detailed guidance on child passenger safety, including the proper selection and installation of car seats and booster seats. Resources note that appropriate restraints can significantly reduce the risk of death in a crash and direct families to dedicated online tools and inspection events where certified technicians can check seats before the school year begins.([csaa-insurance.aaa.com](https://csaa-insurance.aaa.com/content/aaa-ie/b2c/en/primary-nav/tips/auto-tips/back-to-school-driving.html?utm_source=openai))
As districts across the country move through the first weeks of the 2025–26 academic year, public guidance from AAA and partner organizations consistently points to the same core message: in busy school zones and along student travel routes, slower speeds, full attention, and patience from every driver can reduce the likelihood of tragedy.
AAA: School’s Open – Drive Carefully campaign overview
Auto Club of Southern California back-to-school safety advisory