AAA Western and Central New York (WCNY), along with law enforcement and community partners, has kicked off its annual “School’s Open, Drive Carefully” campaign as back-to-school season gets underway. With school buses headed back on the roads, commuters should give themselves extra time in coming weeks and be prepared for bus traffic. Drivers should also be patient with less experienced student drivers returning to high school and college.

AAA's School's Open, Drive Carefully campaign was launched 80 years ago, in 1946, to help reduce school-related pedestrian injuries and fatalities. Eight decades later, that mission remains as important as ever.

“With constant distractions behind the wheel and today’s drivers always in a rush, it’s more imperative than ever to get the safety message out as summer winds down and a new school year awaits,” said AAA Western and Central New York President and CEO Marke Dickinson. “We applaud and thank our safety partners for joining us here today.”

Organizations joining AAA this year for the safety announcement, shared at Roberto Clemente School No. 8 in the City of Rochester on September 3, included the Rochester City School District, New York State Police, Monroe County Sheriff's Office, Rochester Police Department, Transpo Bus Service, and AMR Emergency Medical Services. 

“Some people are worried about the tickets they may receive if they pass a bus that is stopped. We're more worried about a life that could be risked if that happens,” said Deputy Superintendent Dr. Casandra Wright with the Rochester City School District. “So not stopping when a bus is stopping is more than just getting a ticket. It's about ensuring that our most valuable community members, our children, are safe every single day.”

“No appointment, commute, or destination is worth putting a child's life at risk,” said New York State Police Trooper and Public Information Officer Lynnea Crane. “Our troopers will be out there enforcing these laws, but we would much rather see drivers make the safe choices in the first place. Give yourself the extra minutes. Slow down. Put the phone down. Be patient around school buses and in school zones. And most importantly, when those red lights are flashing, stop. Every child deserves to make it home safely.”

“It's up to us, the adults driving the cars, to make sure that we're the ones keeping an eye out for these kids,” added Captain Greg Bello with the Rochester Police Department. “We can't rely upon the kids to always be using the sidewalk, to always be crossing the street safely. So we all need to have that awareness and that renewed focus and awareness to get our kids to and from school safely.”

Damon Mustaca of Transpo Bus Service thanked Andrew Perez from AMR Emergency Medical Services, noting, “EMTs and paramedics, when they're on the road, responding to a potentially dangerous situation, stop for my school buses. An ambulance will do that for us. If an ambulance responding to a crash can do it, we can all do it.”

Mustaca also asked parents to talk to their children about safe behavior on school buses while Deputy Todd Thurston, Community Engagement Deputy with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, put out a warning regarding distracted driving. “For new teenage drivers, it can wait,” Thurston said. “Put the phone down, silence your phone, or have someone else in the car answer that text or phone call. Be around to write the next chapter in your life.”

AAA's commitment to school safety extends beyond drivers with the AAA School Safety Patrol program, which allows students to take an active role in protecting their classmates and serving as leaders in their schools with a goal of creating safe driving habits that last a lifetime. Founded more than 100 years ago, in 1920, the nationwide program has been adopted around the world. AAA WCNY provides safety materials to schools across the region. For more information, visit www.AAA.com/SafetyPatrol.