South Burlington Aim To Change School Zone Traffic Laws

During a meeting last month, the idea of changing many traffic laws in Burlington, particularly around school zones, was introduced by school staff to Burlington public officials. The idea behind changing current traffic laws would be to create a safer space for school children to walk around. The potential changes that would occur would be a decrease in the speed limit to a maximum of 25 miles per hour. Additionally, school staff requested that a designated school zone be added to the streets surrounding the schools, and to add a crossing guard in the new school zone.

Both South Burlington High School and Frederick H. Middle School are located on Dorset Street; a main road that has lots of traffic daily. The speed limit on Dorset Street at this time varies depending on where on the street you are driving, but the limit between where Dorset Street intersects with Williston Road and Swift Street is 35 miles per hour (the schools are both within these parameters). 

For an average person, if you are hit by a car going 35 miles per hour, you have a 40.7 percent chance of being severely injured and a 10.5 percent chance of dying from this impact. However, this statistic is only relevant if we truly believe that most do not go over the speed limit which is not a factual belief. According to a survey done by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, at least 45 percent of drivers report that they go at least 15 miles per hour over the speed limit, and 89 percent of people admit to speeding in some capacity on the roadways. For the sake of this analysis, let’s assume that on the parts of Dorset Street that have a speed limit of 35, people are going 45 miles per hour instead of 35 miles per hour. This would increase the risk of severe injury to 42.8 percent, and the risk of death is 22.9 percent. It is worth noting that these statistics are for grown adults who get hit by a moving vehicle. Rates of injury and death in children would likely be even higher than these numbers listed. 

When the speed limit is decreased to 25 miles per hour, the severe injury rate decreases to 31.9 percent, and fatality rates decrease to 4.4 percent. Additionally, when a zone is designated as a school zone, accidents are said to decrease by 10-15 percent. Being aware that an area has a school- especially here in Burlington, where it can be unclear on the busy road that there is a school- leads drivers to slow down and to be more cautious. To increase the effectiveness of school zones, other supplementary items can be added to the road such as speeding radars, curb ramps, pedestrian signals, as well as proper sidewalks, and increased police presence. 

Crossing guards are also an addition to school zones that increase safety. Crossing guards can help children cross roads at proper times, as well as educate children on how to be safe on and near roadways. There is a potential hazard associated with being a crossing guard especially when weather conditions are poor. Cars that are not following road rules and are driving recklessly may hit a crossing guard which could potentially lead to injury or death. In fact, in 2019, being a crossing guard was listed as one of the top 5 most dangerous jobs by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. So while the overall safety of school students is increased with the addition of a crossing guard, it is a risk that should be assessed heavily before taking it.

Beyond these measures that the staff of Burlington public schools suggested in the meeting that commenced last month, there are personal safety measures you as a pedestrian can take when walking on and near roadways. For one, you should stay on sidewalks at all available times and only cross at allotted pedestrian crossings when it is appropriate to do so (do not jaywalk). You can also walk against traffic instead of with it, so you and the cars coming at you are aware of each other. As a pedestrian, it is also your job to stay alert to your surroundings. Just like how vehicle operators are not supposed to be on their phones, you too should avoid using your phone while walking on roadways, as well as make sure all your senses are alert (do not wear headphones if you can avoid it, and if you do wear headphones keep the music volume low). 

Overall, the push that Burlington school staff had in last month's meeting is a reasonable one that would lead to increased safety for all- but especially for children- in the busy area and school zone on Dorset Street. As of right now, there is no update as to whether or not these requests will come to fruition… only time will tell.