Essay Sample on School-Going Children's Safety: Traffic Lights to Control Motorists

Introduction

Roads close to schools are usually overcrowded because schoolchildren use them. Overcrowding is highest in the morning and evening. These are the hours that children are going to and from school. To avoid accidents occurring in such areas, motorists need to be controlled. One of the ways to control the motorists is by installing traffic lights around those places. Researchers have delved into the issue of the safety of school-going children and recommended various solutions to this menace.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Gregory, Irwin, Faulks, and Chekaluk (2014), in their article, "Speeding in School Zones: Violation or Lapse in Prospective Memory?" cites that inappropriate speed in busy school zone sis major cause of fatal accidents. School going children live in fear of these vehicles that speed. The article cites that although some of the drivers are usually keen when they approach such busy areas, some behave like they do not care. Such drivers lead to accidents, and the most affected are school children.

This article presents credible findings as it makes use of several sources to gather information. Besides, it presents the findings of several studies that were conducted in Australian school zone sites. The results from the three studies have been compiled to write the findings of the paper. One weakness of the article is that it does not specify the type of vehicles that were tested. There are some vehicles that have a greater likelihood to cause accidents than others.

Agrawal, A., & Menon, G. R. (2017) cite road accidents near school zones are the leading causes of low population in schools. Some of the victims of such accidents spend a lot of time seeking medication, and this affects their performance in schools. The authors cite that the use of traffic lights in such zones is not enough as many drivers do not adhere to the lights. As such, there is the need to put greater emphasis on enforcing the policy of following traffic lights. The article is a credible source of information, as it is a peer-reviewed article. Besides, the article gives specific cases where road accidents have affected the performance of schools. However, the article has a weakness because it provides limited hypotheses. More hypotheses are important to make a strong inference.

The source, "Methodological School of Management" by Khristenko, Reus and Zinchenko (2014), looks at how schools are managed. The source cites that any effective management of the school must always address issues that are internal and external to the school. One of the major aspects of management is the safety of the learners both in school and outside the school. To ensure that learners are safe when out of school, the roads around the school should be fitted with traffic lights as a means of controlling the traffic. The strength of this article lies in the aspect that the information presented is divided into subtopics, making it easier for the reader to follow. The article cites the installation of traffic lights as a major step towards ensuring that school children are safe when out of school.

Umphrey, Douglas and Sarat (2012), in their article, "Secrets of Law," look at the importance of law in enhancing the security of people. There are laws that govern traffic. One of these laws is the installation of traffic lights in all the areas close to the schools. This law seeks to ensure that school children are protected from careless drivers. The information is presented chronologically with the causes and solutions listed. The article also explains difficult legal terms for the ease of the reader. Umphrey, Douglas, and Sarat (2012) cite that the security of the children should not be compromised at all.

In busy school zones where there are no traffic lights or any means to control traffic, it is important that the law compels the relevant authorities to install them as a major security measure. Where those involved do not respond appropriately, they should be punished severely for putting the lives of the children at risk.

Wolswijk and Dijk (2015) look at the traffic laws and how they should be implemented. Traffic laws define which parts of the road should be classified as dangerous and those that should not be defined as dangerous. Areas around the school, marketplaces, and areas around hospitals are regarded as highly sensitive areas and extra road safety measures should be put in these areas. Drivers who speed when they are in these areas commit a traffic offense and should be punished. The authors cite that driving under the influence while in these high-risk areas is a major traffic offense that is punishable.

The article's strength lies in its recommendations to avert traffic in school zones. The article recommends that traffic lights be installed in such areas for the purpose of controlling traffic. Traffic lights will have the ability to determine when vehicles should use the road and the turn for people to use the road. As the article recommends, any driver who breaks the law should be punished by law.

Solutions

Gregory, Irwin, Faulks and Chekaluk (2016) looked at the ways that can be used to control traffic in busy school zones as a means of preventing accidents. In their article, they cited the installation of reminders as one of the most viable options. One of the ways that they cited is the installation of a "check speed" sign, which flashes to inform the motorists that they are approaching a busy zone. They also cited the use of written prints on the road to urge motorists that they were approaching a place with traffic lights. This would ensure that drivers slow down before they approach the lights. This way, accidents would be reduced.

Rahman, Abdel-Aty, Lee, and Rahman (2019) cited that the issue of safety in areas around schools was an important topic to be addressed by relevant authorities. The article revolves around the crash-prone school zones in Orange and Seminole Counties in Florida. These areas experience higher traffic in areas close to schools, thus the reason for picking them.

The article cites that the installation of traffic lights in schools is a key issue in busy school zones as a means of reducing accidents. However, the article notes that traffic lights can be modernized and other features incorporated to make them more effective in areas around schools. One of the counter-measures analyzed in decreasing the number of driveways in areas around the school. The authors cite that many of the accidents around the school are caused by the existence of too many driveways. Thus, to reduce accidents, proper means of reducing the number of driveways must be identified.

References

Agrawal, A., & Menon, G. R. (2017). Road Traffic and Safety. Hauppauge, New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1652574&site=ehost-live

Gregory, B., Irwin, J. D., Faulks, I. J., & Chekaluk, E. (2014). Speeding in School Zones: Violation or Lapse in Prospective Memory? Journal of Experimental Psychology. Applied, 20(3), 191-198. https://doi.org/10.1037/xap0000019

Gregory, B., Irwin, J. D., Faulks, I. J., & Chekaluk, E. (2016). Differential effects of traffic sign stimuli upon speeding in school zones following a traffic light interruption. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 86, 114-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2015.10.020

Khristenko, V. B., Reus, A. G., & Zinchenko, A. P. (2014). Methodological School of Management. London: Bloomsbury Information. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=817622&site=ehost-live

Rahman, M. H., Abdel-Aty, M., Lee, J., & Rahman, M. S. (2019). Enhancing traffic safety at school zones by operation and engineering countermeasures: A microscopic simulation approach. Simulation Modelling Practice & Theory, 94, 334-348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.simpat.2019.04.001

Umphrey, M. M., Douglas, L., & Sarat, A. (2012). The Secrets of Law. Stanford, California: Stanford Law Books. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=713599&site=ehost-live

Wolswijk, H., & Dijk, A. van. (2015). Criminal Liability for Serious Traffic Offences : Essays on Causing Death, Injury and Danger in Traffic. Utrecht: Eleven International Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=977053&site=ehost-live