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Article courtesy of Bader Law
- New research has revealed that Indiana is home to the most dangerous school zones in America. The data found that 1.14% of the state’s pedestrians involved in a fatal collision were in a school zone at the time of the crash.
- Wyoming takes the second spot in the ranking, with 1.10% of fatal pedestrian accidents occurring in a school zone.
- The research analyzed data from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to determine the states with the safest and most dangerous school zones.
A new study has revealed that Indiana is home to the highest number of pedestrians involved in fatal school zone crashes.
School zones are designated areas near a school with reduced speed limits during specific times, designed to enhance the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. However, this research highlights where some states are falling short when it comes to prioritizing the safety of pedestrians in a school zone.
Injury lawyers at Bader Law analyzed data from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to determine the states with the safest and most dangerous school zones.
According to the study, Indiana is home to the most dangerous school zones in America. The research reveals that between 2014 and 2023, 1.14% of the state’s total number of fatal collisions occurred in a school zone. The data found that 1,231 pedestrians and cyclists in Indiana were involved in fatal collisions within the nine-year timespan, with 14 of these fatalities occurring in a school zone.
Local officials and members of the community in Indiana have called for more efficient safety measures to be implemented, including flashing beacons as a reminder for drivers to slow down.
The data reveals that Wyoming has the second-most dangerous school zones in America, with a total of 1.10% of the state’s total fatal collisions taking place in a school zone. Between 2014 and 2023, one driver and one passenger were involved in a collision that took place in a school zone. While the state’s overall percentage has decreased to 1.10% from 2.94% in 2021, the data shows that there is still a long way to go for Wyoming to prioritize the safety of pedestrians and drivers alike.
Kansas is home to the third-most dangerous school zones in the US. Between 2014 and 2023, there were a total of 397 fatal collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists in Kansas. Four of these occurred in school zones, meaning that 1.01% of Kansas’s total number of fatal incidents took place in a school zone. This figure has risen dramatically since 2021, when only 0.67% of the state’s fatal incidents occurred while in a school zone.
Rhode Island has the fourth-most dangerous school zones in America. Between 2014 and 2023, one pedestrian and one cyclist were involved in a fatal collision that took place in a school zone. This means that 0.78% of Rhode Island’s total fatal collisions have taken place in school zones. While this is a slight decrease from Rhode Island’s previous percentage of 1.87%, the research shows that there’s still more to be done to protect the safety of the state’s pedestrians and cyclists.
The top 10 states with the most dangerous school zones:
| Rank | State | Percentage of pedestrians and cyclists involved in fatal crashes while in a school zone |
| 1 | Indiana | 1.14% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 1.10% |
| 3 | Kansas | 1.01% |
| 4 | Rhode Island | 0.78% |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 0.73% |
| 6 | Hawaii | 0.60% |
| 7 | Idaho | 0.47% |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 0.33% |
| 9 | Connecticut | 0.31% |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 0.30% |
Oklahoma has the fifth-highest percentage of fatal pedestrian accidents occurring in a school zone. Between 2014 and 2023, seven pedestrians were fatally injured while in a school zone. While the state had no fatal cyclist collisions, the data shows that 0.73% of Oklahoma’s fatal collisions have taken place in school zones.
Hawaii is in sixth place, with 0.60% of the state’s fatal accidents occurring in school zones. Within the nine-year timespan, two pedestrians were fatally injured while in a school zone.
Idaho has the seventh-most dangerous school zones in the US, according to the study. Between 2014 and 2023, 0.47% of Idaho’s total fatal collision reports occurred in school zones. One pedestrian was fatally injured in one of the state’s school zones, marking Idaho’s first recorded fatality in a school zone since 2014.
Massachusetts has the eighth-highest percentage of fatal pedestrian accidents in a school zone. The data found that 0.33% of the state’s total number of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities have taken place in a school zone. Between 2014 and 2023, three pedestrians were fatally injured while in one of Massachusetts’ school zones.
Connecticut has the ninth-most dangerous school zones in the US, accounting for 0.31% of the state’s total number of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities. Within the nine-year timespan, two pedestrians were fatally injured while in a Connecticut school zone.
Pennsylvania rounds off the top 10 ranking, with 0.30% of the state’s total fatalities occurring in a school zone. The data found that six pedestrians were fatally injured while in a Pennsylvania school zone between 2014 and 2023.
Other states with dangerous school zones include Wisconsin, New Jersey, and Mississippi.
According to the data, a total of 76 pedestrians and cyclists were fatally injured in school zones between 2014 and 2023. This rises to a shocking total of 467 incidents when driver and passenger fatalities are included.
In comparison to America’s wider crash data, this means that 0.10% of the country’s pedestrian and cyclist fatalities occurred in a school zone.
Meanwhile, the study also highlights the states where there have been no recorded pedestrian and cyclist fatalities while in a school zone. Between 2014 and 2023, states including Vermont, Utah, Maryland, and Michigan recorded no fatalities in school zones.
Seth Bader, the spokesperson for Bader Law, commented on the study:
“This research highlights the alarming fact that more needs to be done to protect the safety of pedestrians and cyclists in school zones. While reducing speed limits is an essential method to lower accident rates, this research demonstrates that stricter regulations ought to be implemented.
“Flashing beacons and warning signs are one of the most effective ways of alerting drivers that they are entering a reduced speed zone. Another way to implement reduced speed limits is to install a higher number of speed cameras to act as an effective deterrent for speeding drivers.
“Families ought to know that their safety is being protected while in a school zone, so it’s disappointing to see how pedestrian and cyclist fatalities have increased in certain states. Drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists alike should stay aware of their surroundings while in busy school zones. Ensure that you’re sticking to designated drop-off and pick-up zones and avoid falling for any distractions, such as texting or talking on the phone.”
Methodology:
- The study analyzed data from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Fatality and Injury Reporting System (FARS) was used to determine the states with the most dangerous school zones in the US.
- In order to determine the final ranking, the study focused on each state’s total number of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities in a school zone in comparison to the area’s wider fatality count between 2014 and 2023.
- The complete data set is available on request.
The complete ranking:
| Rank | State | Percentage of pedestrians and cyclists involved in fatal crashes while in a school zone |
| 1 | Indiana | 1.14% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 1.10% |
| 3 | Kansas | 1.01% |
| 4 | Rhode Island | 0.78% |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 0.73% |
| 6 | Hawaii | 0.60% |
| 7 | Idaho | 0.47% |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 0.33% |
| 9 | Connecticut | 0.31% |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 0.30% |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 0.29% |
| 12 | New Jersey | 0.24% |
| 13 | Mississippi | 0.22% |
| 14 | Colorado | 0.19% |
| 15 | Arkansas | 0.14% |
| 16 | North Carolina | 0.12% |
| 17 | Nevada | 0.11% |
| 18 | Kentucky | 0.10% |
| 19 | New York | 0.09% |
| 20 | Washington | 0.08% |
| 21 | Arizona | 0.07% |
| 22 | Texas | 0.06% |
| 23 | Illinois | 0.05% |
| 24 | Florida | 0.04% |
| 25 | California | 0.02% |
| =26 | Alabama | 0.00% |
| =26 | Alaska | 0.00% |
| =26 | Georgia | 0.00% |
| =26 | Missouri | 0.00% |
| =26 | North Dakota | 0.00% |
| =26 | Ohio | 0.00% |
| =26 | Oregon | 0.00% |
| =26 | Tennessee | 0.00% |
| =26 | Virginia | 0.00% |
| =26 | West Virginia | 0.00% |
| =26 | Delaware | 0.00% |
| =26 | Iowa | 0.00% |
| =26 | Louisiana | 0.00% |
| =26 | Maine | 0.00% |
| =26 | Maryland | 0.00% |
| =26 | Michigan | 0.00% |
| =26 | Minnesota | 0.00% |
| =26 | Montana | 0.00% |
| =26 | Nebraska | 0.00% |
| =26 | New Hampshire | 0.00% |
| =26 | New Mexico | 0.00% |
| =26 | South Carolina | 0.00% |
| =26 | South Dakota | 0.00% |
| =26 | Utah | 0.00% |
| =26 | Vermont | 0.00% |