Our group noticed how effective
School Zones are as a public health to our communities. There is a flashing
light high above the speed limit sign to indicate that during the designated
hours all vehicles must reduce their speed around the school. This provides
safety for those children and other pedestrians to commute around the school
area. There are also ticketed fines of an increased amount to prevent motor
vehicle drivers from ignoring the signs and proceeding at the normal speed
limit.
Being that prevention is such an
enormous part of public health; we felt that a school zone sign was a perfect
way to promote the safety needed around children. The flashing lights draw
attention to the drivers, letting them know they need to be careful while
driving through a school zone. School zones themselves, and therefore school
zone signs, are a great way to promote safe and defensive driving- leading to
less accidents and deaths.
As
experienced drivers, we are all too aware of how tricky it can be when we're
trying to estimate exactly how fast on coming vehicles are traveling. Reduced
speeds increases the chances of a child surviving an unfortunate car accident
and it also gives the driver more time to react in the event that there is a
child in the road.
The decreased speed limits
surrounding schools help to decrease the amount of traffic accidents that
occur. More specifically, they are in place to protect the school children from
traffic while they are walking home or to school.
Overall,
we think that the signs and lights indicating a decreased speed help to prevent
accidents in school zones. Not only do they signal that you will receive a
higher fine for speeding, they indicate to drivers that children may be
crossing the street in the area and will be more attentive. Another example
that relates to these signs is the flashing lights and stop signs on school buses. All of these are public health preventive measures to avoid accidents
and injuries.
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ReplyDeleteSpeed limits are excellent examples to the preventative qualities that the public health sector possesses. The reason speed limits are in place in the first place is because automobile and motorcycle drivers tend to get carried away with their speed, especially when they don't see much traffic ahead of them. Just like in the cartoons and movies, a kid could easily (seemingly) pop out of nowhere and get hurt or killed--even by a 20 mile per hour car.
ReplyDeleteSchool zones are a great example of public health. Public health is focused on the prevention and promotion of good health for populations. Having school zones which require drivers to slow down in areas where there a lot a pedestrians is a great way to prevent deaths. Everyone who has ever been involved in a motor vehicle accident knows how fast things can happen. By enforcing that cars slow down it gives them a greater chance of avoiding an accident and it saves lives.
ReplyDeleteI most definitely agree with school zones because they are a great source to reduce car accidents intended for children walking to and from schools and /or bus stops. Enforcing low speed limits and fines near schools can prevent deaths. In addition, I encourage more crossing guards in all the school zones during entry and release hours to assist the children when crossing the streets. Also, speed bumps in school zones can be a great alternative in reducing speed equivalent to reduced tragedies.
ReplyDelete