DALLAS — Eight North Texas schools will be back in session on Monday and as schools re-open, school zones are back too.
Athens ISD, Ector ISD, Graford ISD, Mineral Wells ISD, Palmer ISD, Palo Pinto ISD, Paris ISD and Quinlan ISD are all back to school Monday, but many more districts start later this week.
In 2023, there were 748 traffic crashes in Texas school zones, resulting in one death and 14 serious injuries, according to TxDOT. There were also 11 people killed and 63 seriously injured last year in crashes involving school buses, the department said.
Speeding, distracted driving and failure to yield the right of way were the top causes of crashes, TxDOT said.
Here are some tips to keep drivers and students safe ahead of this school year.
In a school zone, TxDOT urges drivers to notice traffic patterns that may change during the school year. Putting your cell phone down, stopping for pedestrians in crosswalks and obeying speed limit signs are good ways to avoid accidents in school zones.
TxDOT also urges parents to only drop children off in designated areas, no matter how bad that drop-off line may be.
"Be on the lookout for young pedestrians and cyclists as the school year begins and slow down, stay alert and follow all traffic laws to keep children safe and avoid costly fines and tickets," TxDOT said in a press release.
If your child plans to walk or bike to school this year, remind them to use sidewalks cross the street only at intersections, and obey crossing guards. Pedestrians should also make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street and look for traffic before stepping off a bus or behind a car.
"TxDOT also encourages parents to start sharing pedestrian and school zone safety tips while their kids are at a young age," the release states.