As a new school year begins next week in Beaufort County, traffic — especially near schools — will increase as students, teachers, parents and others make their way to those schools in the morning and from those schools in the afternoon.

Among those students will be teenage drivers, some driving to and from schools for the first time.

Also on the highways, roads and streets will be N.C. Highway Patrol troopers. As they do each new school year, those troopers will be paying close attention to traffic near and at schools. All drivers should be paying close attention to traffic near and at schools.

During the school year, the morning and afternoon rush hours are the busiest times for teenage drivers traveling to and from school and school-related events. North Carolina has nearly 80,000 miles of roadways, second only to Texas, according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety. Teenage drivers lack the experience of seasoned drivers and are more likely to be distracted while operating a motor vehicle, according to research. Given that information, it is not surprising that traffic collisions continue to be the leading cause of teenage deaths in North Carolina.

When the new school year begins, expect troopers to patrol school zones and routes frequented by commuting students. Aggressive enforcement of traffic laws will target speeders, reckless driving, noncompliance with seat-belt laws and distracted drivers using cellphones. School-bus stops and school functions that draw heavy traffic volume also will be monitored.

During the first few weeks of school, troopers will visit various schools to distribute educational material promoting proper child restraint and seat-belt use in an effort to gain compliance with these laws. Every year, children die or are injured in traffic crashes because of the lack of or improper restraint use. Troopers also could visit local driver’s-education classes to give a law-enforcement officer’s perspective on safe driving habits.

As the new school year gets under way, drivers should not consider the increased presence of troopers near and at schools as a nuisance. Those troopers are there for a good reason — protecting the lives of people, especially the lives of children.