NASHVILLE, Tenn. -
The beginning of the school year can be an exciting time for children, but also a dangerous one, especially for kids waiting at the bus stop, according to safety experts at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Pedestrian injuries involving motor vehicles tend to increase at the start of each school year and are the second leading cause of death in the U.S. for children ages five to 14.
Tennessee ranks in the top 20 for child pedestrian fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Dad Mario Medina can see why. He takes his child to the school bus stop each morning near the intersection of Hopedale and Wales in South Nashville.
"Drivers don't respect the speed limit or these kids," Medina told Nashville's News 2.
According to parents and neighbors, motorists drive too fast on the busy road and often ignore the stop arm on the school bus.
Dozens of children from a nearby apartment complex wait along the street each morning and while many of their parents do wait with them, Medina fears a child will eventually get hurt because of a reckless driver.
Sarah Haverstick, a safety expert at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, says parents need to talk to kids about using crosswalks and sidewalks as drivers, parents and children are adjusting to a new school routine.
Haverstick said kids have a difficult time with depth perception.
"They often have a hard time judging what the speed of that vehicle is and the amount of time it's going to take them to cross the street before the vehicle actually connects with them," said Haverstick.
A neighbor told Nashville's News 2 that he's expressed his concerns about the dangers of the bus stop to city leaders.
Medina hopes someone will come and take a look.
Drivers caught speeding in a school zone will be fined.
