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The “Danger Zone”: What the Data Says About Getting Bloomington-Normal Kids to School Safely
Every August, the team at Onward Injury Law packs up backpacks for Backpack Blitz, our program that puts filled backpacks into the hands of Central Illinois kids who need them. It’s one of our favorite days of the year!
But packing the backpack is the easy part. Getting a child safely to school and back, every day, all school year, is the real challenge for parents. So this year, we decided to look at what the data actually says about that walk, that bike ride, that wait at the bus stop, here in Bloomington-Normal. Here’s what we found, and how families can take action.
This page is something we plan to keep updating. Each year, as new numbers come out, we’ll refresh it so it stays useful instead of outdated. (We’re also gathering data for a companion piece on Decatur — stay tuned.)
What We Mean by “The Danger Zone”
According to a national analysis of federal crash data, nearly one in three child pedestrian deaths happens between 3 and 7 p.m. [1] AAA has started calling this window the “danger zone,” and the name is unfortunately on-the-nose. It’s usually not the morning drop-off that catches families off guard; it’s the afternoon, when school lets out, activities start, drivers are tired after a long day, and daylight begins to fade.
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Illinois’s own statewide crash data points in the same direction. Setting pedestrians aside for a moment, more than 66% of all crashes in Illinois happen between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., with the two heaviest stretches falling between noon and 4 p.m., and again from 4 to 8 p.m. [2] That’s exactly when kids are walking home, waiting at bus stops, and riding bikes through the neighborhood; right as regular traffic is at its heaviest.
The Numbers Close to Home
We pulled together what’s publicly available for McLean County and the Twin Cities specifically:
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Bloomington-Normal — pedestrian & bicycle crashes, average per year (2018–2022)* | 50+ |
| Illinois child pedestrian injuries, ages 4–14, 2024 (statewide) | ~511 |
| Illinois child bicyclist injuries, ages 4–14, 2024 (statewide) | ~437 |
A note on scope: the McLean County totals above cover all crash types and all ages — they’re county-wide context, not a count of school-age pedestrians specifically*. Illinois doesn’t publish a county-level breakdown for child pedestrian and bicycle injuries, so the statewide figures are the closest we have to a sense of scale for that group. [2]
Local reporting from WGLT found that Bloomington and Normal saw more than 50 pedestrian and bicycle crashes a year between 2018 and 2022, with Normal seeing the most (largely because of how walkable it is near Illinois State University). Distracted driving and distracted walking, from phones and earbuds, came up repeatedly as a contributing factor. [3]
While this data is unnerving, particularly to the parents of young children, there are specific actions our community can take to prevent future incidents.
What’s Coming: Illinois’ New E-Bike & Micromobility Law
If your child rides an e-bike or scooter, there’s a change worth watching for. Illinois lawmakers passed SB 3484, a new law covering e-bikes and other micromobility devices, and it’s on its way to the Governor. [4] It includes new rules for younger riders and passengers, along with changes to how these devices are classified and regulated.
Here’s the important part for this year specifically: the law isn’t set to take effect until January 1, 2027, so it won’t change anything for this school year. [4] But it’s exactly the kind of thing that’s easy to miss until it’s suddenly in effect — so we’re flagging it now. We’ll update this page as the potential effective date gets closer and the final language on the laws are confirmed.
Why the Speed Limit Sign Actually Matters
Illinois law drops speed limits to 20 mph on school days from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., in school zones and on streets where kids are going to and from school as long as signs are posted. [5] That’s not just a formality.
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Ten miles an hour sounds small. In a crash, it’s often the difference that matters most. If you’re driving through a school zone during morning or afternoon rush, that’s worth remembering, not just because of the fine, but because of what those ten miles an hour actually mean for a kid stepping off a curb.
The Bus Stop’s “Ten-Foot Rule”
Bus stops have their own version of the danger zone: the space directly around the bus itself. NHTSA’s guidance is simple enough to teach a five-year-old: [6]
- Stand at least 10 feet back from the curb (that’s about five big steps) until the bus comes to a full stop.
- Never walk behind a bus. If you have to cross in front of it, wait until you’re at least 10 feet ahead and can see the driver’s face (and the driver can see yours).
- Wait for the driver to wave you across. Don’t guess.
- Get to the stop a few minutes early so there’s no reason to rush or run once the bus is in sight.
A Short Checklist for This Year
None of this means keeping kids inside is the answer. It means being a little more intentional. A few things that help:
- Something reflective on the backpack or jacket for early-morning or late-afternoon light.
- A card inside the backpack with a parent’s phone number and any allergy or medical info, in case a child can’t communicate it themselves.
- Walking or biking the route together at least once before school starts.
- A helmet for any bike or scooter ride, even on the rides that feel routine.
- A backup plan for what a child does if their usual walking buddy is out sick, so they’re not making a new decision alone on the fly.
This is really the same spirit behind Backpack Blitz: showing up for the practical, unglamorous parts of getting a kid ready for school, not just the big moments.
A Central Illinois Commitment
We put this together because central Illinois is our home. These are our neighborhoods, our schools, our kids. Onward Injury Law will keep this page updated every year with revised numbers to keep our community informed and help make Bloomington-Normal a safer place for our kids.
If your family is ever navigating what comes after a crash, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Contact the team at Onward Injury Law.
Focus on healing. We’ll handle the rest.
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