As students return to school this week, NRMA Insurance is urging parents and carers who drive children to and from school to take care behind the wheel - with new claims data revealing 40% of car collisions happen around school pick-up time.
The NRMA Insurance claims data showed that one of the most common times for a collision is between 1pm - 5pm in the afternoon, with the peak of collisions at 3pm*.
NRMA Insurance Executive General Manager Claims Luke Gallagher said with motor vehicle collisions peaking during school pick-up time, it's a timely remind of the importance of paying attention behind the wheel and obeying the road rules when in school pick-up zones to help avoid an accident.
"We understand everyone leads busy lives and we're all rushing to pick-up the children from school; however, drivers need to be patient, allow extra time to travel and must follow the road rules to ensure the safety of children, pedestrians and themselves.
"The parking and pick-up rules in school zones are in place to help keep children safe and assist with traffic flow. Following these rules will help ensure a calmer and safer journey for everyone," Mr Gallagher said.
NRMA Insurance offers the following tips to parents and carers who are doing the pick-ups and drop-offs:
- Consider carpooling with other drivers to avoid doing the school-run five days a week;
- If you have the time, perhaps park away from the school and walk with the child;
- If you're caught in the traffic remember to remain calm and be patient - getting frustrated can affect your ability to concentrate on the road;
- And if you're not a parent or carer, try and leave home earlier or later to avoid the peak school pick-up times.
If you do get into an accident, you should follow these tips:
- Stop if safe to do so and make sure everyone's ok;
- Exchange details with the other driver including the other driver's name, their address, license number and their vehicles registration number;
- Take photographs of the damage to the vehicles;
- Collect the details of any witnesses; and
