Don’t put a dent in your afternoon school pick-up

State Insurance claims data shows car accidents peak during school pick-up

As students return to school this week, State is urging busy parents and carers who drive children to and from school to take care behind the wheel – with new claims data revealing 42% of car collisions happen around school pick-up time.

The State Insurance claims data showed that one of the most common times for a collision is between 1pm – 5pm in the afternoon, with the peak of collisions occurring between 3pm and 4pm*.

IAG’s Executive General Manager Claims, Dean MacGregor said with motor vehicle collisions peaking during school pick-up time, it’s a timely reminder of the importance of paying attention behind the wheel and sticking to the road rules when in school zones to help avoid an accident.

“We all lead very busy lives and when we’re rushing to pick-up the kids from school at the same time, the chances of having an accident increase. We need to be patient, allow extra time to travel and follow the road rules to ensure the safety of children, pedestrians and ourselves.”

“The parking and pick-up rules in school zones are in place to help keep everyone, especially children, safe and assist with traffic flow. Following these rules will help ensure a safer journey for everyone,” Mr MacGregor said.

State Insurance offers the following tips to parents and carers who are doing the pick-ups and drop-offs:

• Consider carpooling with other drivers to avoid doing the school-run five days a week.
  
• If you have the time, perhaps park away from the school and walk with your child.
• If you’re caught in the traffic remember to remain calm and be patient – getting frustrated can affect your ability to concentrate on the road.
• And if you’re not a parent or carer, try and leave home earlier or later to avoid the peak school pick-up times.

If you do get into an accident, you should follow these tips:

• Stop if safe to do so and make sure everyone’s ok.
  
• Exchange details with the other driver, including the other driver’s name, their address, license number and their vehicle registration number.
• Take photographs of the damage to the vehicles.
• Collect the details of any witnesses.
• Obtain a copy of the police report if police are involved.
• Obtain the insurance details of the other party, and contact your insurer to lodge your claim.

State Insurance - National motor claims data

• Early Morning (peak hour) (5am - 9am) - 19%
  
• Late morning (10am – 12pm) - 23%
• Afternoon (1pm – 5pm) - 42%
• Evening (6pm – 9pm) - 13%
• Night (10pm – 4am) - 3%