School is back, and so is the risk in your morning commute

Mercury Insurance is asking drivers to reset their commuting habits now that school is back, pointing to national crash data around school buses, pedestrians, bicycles, and the congestion that builds up in drop-off zones. The pattern repeats every August: the same route you drove all summer fills up with children, and the timing shifts by 20 minutes.

This is also the cheapest lever you have on an auto premium. Carriers price your record, and a single at-fault accident or moving violation can follow you for three to five years, usually costing more over that stretch than any discount you were shopping for. In Florida and Texas the stakes are higher than the ticket: both states see heavy uninsured and underinsured driving, so a crash that is not your fault can still land on your own policy. Leave earlier, put the phone out of reach, and treat a stopped school bus with flashing lights as a full stop, because passing one is one of the more expensive tickets you can collect.

An independent agent can review your liability limits, confirm you carry uninsured motorist coverage, and re-shop your auto policy across carriers.