Statistics show that nearly one-third of child pedestrian fatalities occurred between 3 and 7 p.m, a prime time for children walking home from school.

As school kicks back into gear, AAA urges drivers to stay alert in neighborhoods and school zones.

AAA Alabama spokesperson Clay Ingram said, “AAA’s School’s Open- Drive Carefully awareness campaign was designed in 1946 to curb a trend of unsafe driving behavior in school zones and neighborhoods that can result in children’s injury and death. Seventy-one years later, the message remains- we must remind motorists to slow down and stay alert as kids head back to school.”

In 2014 there were 309 child pedestrian deaths and 11,000 resulted in injury.

AAA offers helpful tips to keep kids safe this school year:

Slow down – a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling 25 mph is nearly two-thirds less likely to be killed compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling just 10 mph faster.

Eliminate distractions – research shows that taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles your chances of crashing.

Reverse responsibly – carefully check around your vehicle before slowly backing up.

Talk to your teen – car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the U.S., and more than one-quarter of fatal crashes involving teen drivers occur during the after-school hours.

Come to a complete stop – check carefully for children on sidewalks and in crosswalks before proceeding.

Watch for bicycles – slow down and allow at least three feet of passing distance between your vehicle and the bicycle.