Fewer kids are strolling and exposing themselves to the dangers of site visitors right this moment. But pedestrian harm stays a number one reason behind unintentional demise from accidents amongst kids between ages 5 and 14.

Kids are at an elevated threat for pedestrian harm and demise. It’s because the site visitors guidelines and dangers typically are past their skills. These embrace considering, developmental, behavioral, bodily, and sensory. As well as, dad and mom and caregivers typically overestimate their kid’s site visitors expertise.

Older kids may be in danger for pedestrian accidents as a result of they could be distracted by their cellphones. They could be texting, utilizing earbuds, or speaking on their cellphone whereas crossing the road.

Sadly, when baby pedestrians are injured, it’s typically extreme.

The place do most baby pedestrian accidents and deaths occur?

Many baby pedestrian deaths occur within the evenings. That is when visibility could also be lowered. Locations the place kids have a better threat of pedestrian harm or demise embrace:

- Excessive-traffic areas

- Areas with a excessive variety of parked automobiles on avenue

- Areas with greater posted pace limits

- Areas with no divided highways

- Areas with few pedestrian-control units, equivalent to crosswalk alerts

- Places that lack particular play areas

- Residential areas

- Driveways

- Straight, paved, dry roads

How do I maintain my baby secure as a pedestrian?

- Do not let kids beneath age 10 cross streets by themselves.

- Educate kids appropriate pedestrian conduct by modeling it your self. Examples embrace crossing at avenue corners, utilizing site visitors alerts and crosswalks when obtainable, and making eye contact with drivers earlier than crossing.

- Educate kids to look left, proper, after which left once more when crossing a avenue. Additionally train kids to maintain trying round when crossing. And to concentrate when strolling previous a driveway. Remind them to all the time test if vehicles are pulling in or out.

- Educate kids that seeing the motive force in a car doesn’t suggest that the motive force can see them.

- By no means enable kids to run into the road.

- Do not let kids play in driveways, unfenced yards, streets, or parking tons.

- Educate kids to all the time stroll on sidewalks. When strolling alongside a avenue with no sidewalks, train kids to stroll going through oncoming site visitors, as far left as attainable.

- At daybreak and nightfall, have kids put on reflective supplies and carry flashlights.

- Educate kids to cross the road at the very least 10 ft in entrance of a faculty bus.

- Have kids look ahead to adults on the identical aspect of the road the place the college bus masses and unloads.