Why September traffic means longer commutes and more caution near schools
As the new school year begins, city traffic becomes denser and commutes take longer, prompting calls for drivers to adjust departure times and take extra care near schools. Latvia's State Police is urging particular caution in areas with more children.
During summer, quieter streets mean shorter commute times, and many drivers keep that habit even after traffic picks up again. In early September, as the school year starts, streets fill with more pedestrians and vehicles, yet many drivers continue leaving at their usual summer time and only realize they're running late once already on the road.
Rushing in traffic rarely helps
Trying to make up lost time, drivers often tailgate the vehicle ahead or switch lanes as soon as a gap appears. Because lanes in dense traffic move unevenly, such maneuvers usually bring only a brief, minor advantage rather than a real reduction in travel time. Frequent lane changes also leave drivers with less of a safety margin to react to unexpected situations.
Lane changes affect other drivers too
Squeezing into a small gap forces the driver behind in the adjacent lane to brake, and that reaction can ripple further back through the line of cars, affecting drivers who never even saw the original maneuver. According to a responsible-driving survey, 78.2% of drivers link the biggest road risks to driving habits and culture rather than external factors.
Extra caution near schools
Since many children walk to school unaccompanied, visibility near schools is critical — vehicles parked along the curb can hide a child from a driver's view right up to the edge of the roadway. Drivers should therefore watch gaps between parked cars and drive slowly enough to stop in time if a child steps onto the road, even where the speed limit allows faster driving.
Planning for extra time
Experts recommend tracking actual commute times during the first days of September and adjusting departure times accordingly if trips are consistently longer than in summer. Much of the decision about how safely one drives is effectively made when choosing a departure time, rather than while already behind the wheel.
