As students return to classrooms, streets and school zones across the country become increasingly busy with children walking, riding bikes, getting into cars and boarding school buses. The annual back-to-school transition also brings renewed concerns about pedestrian and traffic safety.
There is encouraging news on one front. Drivers struck and killed 7% fewer pedestrians on U.S. roads in 2025 compared with the previous year, marking the largest annual decline since pedestrian fatalities began falling three years ago, according to a new analysis from the Governors Highway Safety Association.
Still, the progress comes with an important warning. An estimated 6,732 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in 2025, approximately 5% more than in 2019, the last year before the pandemic significantly altered traffic patterns and enforcement. Those fatalities also carried an estimated financial cost of nearly $94 billion, including lost productivity, medical care, emergency services and legal expenses.
Children remain particularly vulnerable. According to Safe Kids, more than 40 children in the United States are struck by vehicles while walking each day.
School bus safety presents another concern. A national survey conducted by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services found that, when projected across a 180-day school year nationwide, approximately 39.3 million illegal passes of school buses could occur. Each illegal passing creates the potential for a child to be struck while entering or leaving a bus.
Distraction is another factor affecting both drivers and pedestrians. A State Farm survey found that 66% of adult pedestrians said they often see distracted drivers, while 64% said they often see distracted pedestrians. More than half, 53%, said they believed pedestrians always have the right of way over drivers.
The survey also found that 53% of respondents were walking in a residential area or leaving their residence when they experienced a crash or near-crash involving a vehicle, underscoring that pedestrian dangers are not limited to busy intersections or major highways.
Adam Snider, a pedestrian safety expert with the Governors Highway Safety Association, said back-to-school season is an important opportunity to reinforce safe habits among drivers, parents and students.
Families can help by reviewing walking and biking routes before school starts, reminding children to stay alert near traffic and encouraging them to put away phones and other distractions while crossing streets. Drivers should slow down in school zones, watch carefully for children and obey school-bus stopping laws.
As millions of students return to school, simple precautions and greater awareness can help make the daily trip to and from the classroom safer for everyone.