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A state statute provides: "During posted school-arrival hours, every motorist approaching a marked elementary-school crossing with flashing lights must reduce speed to 15 miles per hour and stop when a crossing guard raises a stop paddle." The statute's stated purpose is to protect children and adults using school crossings from vehicle strikes during arrival and dismissal.
At 8:05 a.m., the crossing lights were flashing. Omar drove 29 miles per hour while glancing at a navigation message on his phone. A crossing guard raised a stop paddle so a second-grade student and the student's mother could cross. Omar braked late and struck the mother in the crosswalk. Omar argues that he did not see the paddle until the last moment, that the mother rather than the child was hit, and that he was slowing down because the traffic behind him was heavy.
In the mother's negligence action, analyze whether the statute supplies the standard of care and whether Omar breached his duty. Address Omar's best arguments.