AAA Hosts School Supply Drive

August 10, 2018 – Feel the urge to buy some school supplies at this time of year even though you don’t have a kid? Five AAA stores in metro-OKC are giving you a good reason to relive those good old days and help current students get a strong start on the school year. Purchase schools supplies and drop them off at AAA’s School Supply Drive. Through August 26, AAA will support local schools in need of the basics such as tissues, hand sanitizer, pencils, folders and notebook paper.

The initiative encourages everyone to donate new, unused school supplies. AAA associates will deliver the supplies to local schools with greatest needs.

School supply donations can be dropped off at these Oklahoma-area AAA stores:

• 2121 E. 15th St., Tulsa
• 8013 S. Sheridan Rd., Tulsa
• 10051 S. Yale, Ste. 106, Tulsa
• 3746 S. Elm Pl., Broken Arrow
• 112 S. E. Frank Phillips Blvd., Bartlesville
• 106 W. Miller Ave., Stillwater

*Store hours vary. Visit aaa.com to confirm.
As school resumes, traffic patterns change and AAA urges drivers to be especially alert. A hit-and-run crash occurs every minute on U.S. roads, according to recent research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Most victims of fatal hit-and-run crashes are pedestrians or bicyclists. The data indicates that a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at a reduced school zone speed of 25 mph is nearly two-thirds less likely to be killed compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling just 10 mph faster.
AAA urges motorists to follow this guidance to keep students safe:
• Slow down. Speed limits in school zones are reduced for a reason. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 25 mph is nearly two-thirds less likely to be killed compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling just 10 mph faster.

• Come to a complete stop. Research shows that more than one-third of drivers roll through stop signs in school zones or neighborhoods. Always come to a complete stop, checking carefully for children on sidewalks and in crosswalks before proceeding.

• Eliminate distractions. Research shows that taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles your chance of crashing. In addition, children can be quick, crossing the road unexpectedly or emerging suddenly between two parked cars. Reduce risk by not using your cell phone or eating while driving, for example.

• Reverse responsibility. Every vehicle has blind spots. Check for children on the sidewalk, in the driveway and around your vehicle before slowly backing up. Teach your children to never play in, under or around vehicles.

• Watch for bicycles. Children on bikes are often inexperienced, unsteady and unpredictable. Slow down and allow at least three feet of passing distance between your vehicle and a bicyclist. If your child rides a bicycle to school, require that he or she wear a properly fitted helmet on every ride. Find videos, expert advice and safety tips at ShareTheRoad.AAA.com.

• Talk to your teen. Car crashes are among the leading causes of death for teens in Oklahoma. Most crashes involving teen drivers in Oklahoma occur during the after-school hours of 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Get evidence-based guidance and tips at TeenDriving.AAA.com.

“AAA cares deeply about the communities in which we live and serve,” says Leslie Gamble, manager of Public and Government Affairs. “AAA aims to ensure that students get safely to and from school with what they need there to optimize learning.”