As school is about to begin, more vehicles are about to enter the roadways. Whether in the form of individual cars taking students to school, car pools, school buses or new teenage drivers on the road for the first time, the fact is every August there are more vehicles, more situations to deal with and everyone should be more alert.
First, RESPECT SCHOOL ZONES. Not only are the traffic fines substantial in cost, but the cost of injuring a student walking to school is more than one can easily calculate or comprehend. Being aware of pedestrians, school patrols and even the slower moving traffic is a must to ensure your safety and the safety of those traveling near you.
Speed limits in general – not just near schools – need to be heeded. Young, aggressive drivers, and older drivers stressed with work and in a hurry to get there are both a substantial portion of the wrecks caused every year. Driving defensively and within the speed limit will get you where you need to be and increases the odds of getting there safely.
But, in addition to the number of drivers increasing, the usual traffic load is still there. as we have seen in the last several years, with the boom in the oil and gas economy south of San Antonio, there are greater numbers of 18-wheelers and other commercial vehicles traveling through and adding to the traffic in and around Bexar County and beyond.
In the last few weeks alone there have been several fatal and serious crashes involving 18-wheelers in and around San Antonio: a wreck between a train and an 18-wheeler; a fatal wreck on Hwy 90; and a crash between an 18-wheeler and a pick-up truck.
Add to this equation all of the construction going on around town…Be aware and alert. Traffic isn’t going to get better any time soon.
