The video above is a public service announcement put out by the village of Romeoville, Illinois, in regards to “Keep Kids Alive Drive 25,” a nationwide campaign “put an end to deaths and injuries caused by speeding and distracted driving on our nation’s roads.” We are posting this video today because tomorrow is the sixth annual “Keep Kids Alive Drive 25” (KKAD25) Day. Here in Florida, the campaign has affiliates in Ormond Beach, Sarasota, South Daytona and Tampa.

The KKAD25 website notes that 75 percent of motor vehicle crashes occur within 25 miles of home, and 60 percent of crashes occur on roads with posted speed limits of 40 miles per hour or less. Furthermore, the death rate per million miles driven on residential streets is almost twice the death rate on highways, according to the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHSTA).

KKAD25 is a Nebraska-based nonprofit organization that seeks to change the way we drive on neighborhood streets and also supports families who experience the death of a loved one because of a auto accident. Tomorrow’s awareness day is a fine opportunity to remind all motorists young and old of the dangers of speeding through residential neighborhoods.

While school is not yet out for the summer, drivers all over Florida should use tomorrow as an opportunity to get a head start on improving their driving habits in local neighborhoods. According to KKAD25, one study found that nearly a third of motorists violated stop signs when only child pedestrians were crossing.

On April 22, 2012, WTEV-TV reported that a 9-year-old boy was in fair condition after being struck by a car in Macclenny, Florida. The Florida Highway Patrol said the child ran out from between cars on the side of the road. While the 42-year-old driver is not facing any charges in the accident, the incident should serve as a reminder to all of us how we must maintain vigilant awareness at all times when driving through residential neighborhoods.

Wooten Kimbrough, P.A. – Orlando personal injury lawyers