For Immediate Release
Contact: Kathy Bell
Jericho Communications
212-645-6900

WITH CHILDREN ON THEIR WAY BACK TO SCHOOL, SURVEY SUGGESTS THAT ADULTS MAY NEED A LESSON IN DRIVING SAFETY
Progressive.com Back to School Survey Looks at Driving Behavior Around School Buses and Zones

Mayfield Village, OH, August 5, 2002– Once again it’s the time of year when children gear up for the back-to-school season and ready themselves for another year of learning. However, a progressive.com survey suggests it may be adults that need a lesson – not in reading, writing and arithmetic, but in rules of the road, especially near school zones and school bus stops.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), students are at much greater risk traveling to and from school than at any other time in their school day. Interestingly, the progressive.com survey found that 15 percent of respondents say they personally know of a child who has been injured or killed waiting for or getting on/off a school bus.

In an effort to better understand drivers’ behaviors, particularly when driving through school zones during school hours, Progressive (NYSE:PGR) whose companies comprise one of the country’s largest auto insurance groups, conducted a survey of more than 460 people on www.progressive.com.

Lesson 1: Don’t be distracted while driving during the school year.

* 35 percent of respondents with children said they have turned around to reprimand a child while carpooling or driving children to school.
* 10 percent of respondents have accidentally driven past a school bus that was displaying flashing red lights; women (11 percent) were slightly more likely than men (eight percent) to do this.
* 27 percent of respondents said they tried to pass a school bus as quickly as possible rather than drive behind it.

Lesson 2: Drivers need to be extra alert during the school year.

* 72 percent of respondents said they have experienced a child crossing the road without looking for oncoming traffic.
* 44 percent have experienced a child darting out into the street trying to reach their school bus before it departs
* One out of four respondents report that children in their neighborhood do not wait for the school bus in a safe place (away from traffic, well-lit, sheltered, etc.).

“As more school buses and carpools take to the road this school year, drivers need to be increasingly alert, especially when driving in school zones and around school buses,” said Toby Alfred, site manager, progressive.com.

The survey also indicates that people could be more “schooled” on the location of neighborhood bus stops. Only 65 percent of respondents knew the location of the bus stops in their neighborhood compared to 76 percent who knew the location of the nearest liquor store and 86 percent who knew the location of the nearest low-cost gas station.

The Progressive group of insurance companies, in business since 1937, ranks fourth in the nation for auto insurance and provides drivers with competitive rates and 24/7 service. The companies offer insurance by phone at 1-800-PROGRESSIVE, online at progressive.com and through more than 30,000 independent insurance agencies. The Progressive Corporation, the holding company, has headquarters in Mayfield Village, Ohio. More information can be found at progressive.com.

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Toby Alfred is available for interview.

Did You Know….
According to a countrywide Back to School survey by progressive.com

Statistics: General

Didn’t Learn This In School
Thirty-one (31) percent of respondents said they do not know when school starts in their local area – and nine (9) percent of them have school-aged children living with them.

Dropped Off—But In the Wrong Place
Fifteen (15) percent of respondents carpooling or driving children to school have dropped a child off at an undesignated spot at the school due to traffic congestion. Men (16 percent) were more likely than women (11 percent) to do so.

Statistics: Driving During the School Year

Dangerous Streets
Seventy-two (72) percent of respondents who have driven during the school year have experienced a child crossing the road without looking for oncoming traffic, while 44 percent have experienced a child darting out into the street trying to reach their school bus before it departed.
In addition, 80 percent of respondents who have driven during the school year have experienced a child running or playing near a bus stop.

This One’s A Head Turner
Thirty-five (35) percent of respondents with children have turned around to reprimand a child while carpooling or driving children to school.

In the Zone
Eighty (80) percent of respondents knew the location of the school zones in their town.

Statistics: School Bus Stops

Priorities
While only 65 percent of respondents knew the location of the bus stops in their neighborhood, 76 percent knew the location of the nearest liquor store and 86 percent knew the location of the nearest low-cost gas station.

Also, 15 percent of respondents with school-aged children living with them said they did not know the location of their neighborhood school bus stops.

Unsafe Bus Stop
When asked “Do the children in your neighborhood wait for the school bus in a safe place (away from traffic, well-lit, sheltered, etc.)?” 24 percent of respondents said no.

Fifteen (15) percent of respondents said they personally know of a child who has been injured or killed waiting for or getting on/off a school bus.

Statistics: Driving Behind School Buses

It Flashed Before My Eyes – As I Was Driving By
Ten (10) percent of respondents have accidentally driven past a school bus that was displaying flashing red lights. Women (11 percent) were slightly more likely than men (8 percent) to do so.

Attention Please
Sixty-eight (68) percent of respondents pay more attention to the road when driving behind a school bus.

This Starting and Stopping Gets Old Quickly
Twenty-seven (27) percent of respondents said they tried to pass a school bus as quickly as possible rather than drive behind it.

Lights, Camera, INaction
Fourteen (14) percent of respondents did NOT know that when a bus driver displays yellow flashing lights, drivers should decelerate and prepare to stop.

What To Do?
Thirty-three (33) percent of respondents did NOT know that when a bus driver displays red flashing lights, drivers should stop immediately and wait until the red lights stop flashing and the bus begins to move before proceeding.

Older Doesn’t Always Mean Wiser…
Younger respondents ages 18 to 34 (41 percent) were more likely than older respondents ages 50 to 64 (24 percent) to know that a car driving behind a bus should stop 20 feet behind a stopped bus displaying red flashing lights.