This Frugal Family

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety research shows alarming trend More people are now killed on the nation’s city streets than on rural roads and speeding is one of the most critical factors. Between 2010 and 2019, fatalities in urban areas surged 34% while those in rural areas fell 10%. Urban fatalities first surpassed those in rural areas in 2016, and 19,595 people were killed in urban locations compared to 16,340 in the countryside in 2019. “Urban streets in metropolitan areas can be more dangerous because there are higher numbers of motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists traveling those roadways,” said Theresa Podguski, director of legislative affairs, AAA East Central. “Speeding makes those busy streets even more treacherous, so everyone needs to be careful, pay attention to road conditions and follow traffic laws.” According to Federal Highway Administration statistics, more than 70% of the four million miles of public-access roads in the United States are rural. Yet while speeding occurs on all roads, urban roads and streets account for a disproportionate number of speeding-related fatalities. The AAA Foundation study examines characteristics of deaths that happened on urban non-limited access roadways (not freeways, expressways, or interstates) from 2010 to 2019. Details of the Foundation research…

Tips & Suggestions for Drivers as Summer Ends, School Begins As children return to school, AAA East Central has launched its annual School’s Open – Drive Carefully campaign. The campaign aims to encourage parents to talk about the importance of school zone safety with their children and teen drivers. It also advises motorists to take extra caution when traveling through school zones or near school buses. “School zone speed limits, AAA School Safety Patrollers and crossing guards are in place to save lives,” said Terri Rae Anthony, safety advisor for AAA East Central. “Since children can move quickly and cross the road unexpectedly, it is important to obey speed limits and be ready to stop at a moment’s notice.” Speed is a crucial factor in protecting the lives of students as they make their way to class. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 20 mph is about two-thirds less likely to be killed as compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 30 mph. Moreover, nearly 1-in-5 children 14 and younger who die in traffic crashes are pedestrians. In addition to slowing down, AAA offers the following advice…