As children across New Jersey are heading back to school, the roads surrounding their schools could be some of the most dangerous in the area. A new study has found that highly-trafficked roads put school children at risk from distracted drivers.
As CBS News reports, the study found that 88 percent of drivers are using their phone at some point while driving, and one in three of those drivers are practicing unsafe behavior when they are in a school zone. This is because many schools are located on or near busy roads. The study, which was conducted by Zendrive, analyzed traffic data near 75,000 schools around the country and found that one in 11 schools is within 500 feet of very busy roads or highways. Researchers found that the more urban a school was the more dangerous its roads near schools were, so students in large cities were at the most risk. Afterschool pick-up is a riskier time for kids than the morning drop-off, with the hours between 2 and 5 p.m. as some of the worst for poor driving behavior. The most dangerous time near schools is between 4 and 5 p.m.
In the study, each state was given a letter grade for their driving safety and New Jersey received a C- overall. However, of the 21 counties in the state analyzed, 13 counties were given a grade in the D range, and Hudson County received an F and was rated the least safe in the state. I nearby New York, three counties were labeled as top five most dangerous in the country: New York, Kings, and Queens counties were numbers 1, 3, and 4 respectively.