School zones can be challenging for walkers and bicyclists who are children. Although distracted driving poses a particular risk, there have been only a few studies on the impacts of distracted driving in school zones where children are walking and bicycling. Catherine Bull, Research Project Coordinator for the NJ Safe Routes Resource Center who conducted and wrote the research noted, “School zones are a great place for communities to take steps to address distracted driving and make the trip to and from school safer for children.”

This research discusses distracted driving and examples of laws, engineering, enforcement, educational messaging, and Safe Routes to School approaches that have been implemented to address the problem. These responses to distracted driving should be investigated for potential use in New Jersey.

To read the full report, click here: Distracted Driving in SchoolZones (PDF)

Please also check out our Safe Routes Safety Snippet about Distracted Driving that shows how it can be dangerous to walkers, bicyclists and other roadway users.

Safe