This year, the Austin Police Department is helping remind us, and perhaps not the easy way.  I heard a report this morning that for the next two weeks or so every Austin Police Department motorcycle officer would be deployed to school zones around the city.

Don’t have an unexpected meet-up with one of these officers.  Obey the speed limits, stay off your cell phone, don’t pass buses that are loading or unloading children, and stay safe.

Remember to stay safe in your local communities and in school zones.  In Austin, the Austin Police Department will engage in a Back To School traffic safety initiative through Sept. 6th.  You’ll see more officers patrolling school zones and looking for drivers who are speeding, using cell phones, and failing to yield to pedestrians and buses.

Around the state, drivers should also be warned that fines are increasing for illegally passing school buses.  Effective September 1, the maximum fine for a first offense will increase from $1,000 to $1,250.  If you receive two tickets for passing a bus, your license may be suspended for up to six months.  And always remember that a ticket for illegally passing a bus can’t be dismissed through a driver’s ed course.

If you’re a parent, make sure your kids are at the bus stop early and that they don’t misbehave while waiting for the bus.  And don’t forget to make sure that they check the street multiple times before crossing the street.

The best quote of the story was from Lt. Troy Officer, who works in the Austin Police Department vehicular homicide unit.    Lt. Officer stated:

If we had people being killed in these numbers, if we had gun violence that was taking lives like we have the vehicle violence, people would be outraged.  People should be outraged by the loss of life from these vehicles because it’s preventable.

I couldn’t agree with the officer more.  We see the tragedy caused by careless drivers on a daily basis.   I think we understand it.  But most people don’t know how significant these problems are.

I also agree with the officer that these wrecks are preventable.  I often tell my kids that the one excuse I don’t want to hear from them when something happens was, “It’s an accident.”  In most instances, it’s not an accident.  Car wrecks, pedestrian injuries and bicycle wrecks usually result from a choice.  A driver chooses to text and drive.  A driver chooses to not pay attention.  A driver chooses to not check a cross-walk or to try and beat a pedestrian through a cross-walk.  A pedestrian chooses to not cross at a cross-walk or to try and beat a car.  A driver chooses to not look for bicyclists.  A bicyclist chooses to only slow-down at a red light.

These are not accidents.  These are preventable.  And right now, with record deaths, Austinites are doing a poor job of preventing these incidents.