Children may be at risk as pedestrians - Safety - according to survey conducted by National Safe Kids Campaign

While many parents and children may believe their neighborhood is a friendly place to walk, a survey conducted by the National Safe Kids Campaign found that nearly 60% of the adults and youngsters encountered serious hazards on their way to school.

"Walking is an essential part of a child's health and well-being. Every child who lives close enough to school should have the privilege of walking there," says Heather Paul, executive director of the National Safe Kids Campaign. "We're concerned that some children face dangerous conditions every day."

Pedestrian injury is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among those aged five to 14. In 1999, more than 725 youngsters 14 and under died from pedestrian injuries. In 2000, nearly 44,600 children ages 14 and under were injured in pedestrian incidents. Parents can take an active role in keeping their kids safe. For instance, children under 10 should never cross the street alone. The following are some additional safety guidelines parents can follow:

* Instruct youngsters to recognize and obey all traffic signals and markings. A flashing "walk" sign is not an automatic "go" signal. It means a pedestrian has permission to cross, but must first stop and look both ways for cars.

* Make sure kids look in all directions before crossing the street. Teach them to stop at the curb or edge of the road, then look left, right, and left again for traffic before and while crossing the street.

* Stress to children not to enter the street from between parked cars or from behind bushes or shrubs. Darting into the street accounts for the majority of child pedestrian fatalities.

* Instruct them to cross the street at a corner or crosswalk and make sure they allow plenty of time to cross. Caution kids to walk, not run, across intersections. Tell children to listen to adult crossing guards or safety patrols at monitored intersections.

* Warn youngsters to be extra alert in bad weather. Visibility could be poor, and motorists might not be able to see them or stop quickly.

* Demonstrate proper pedestrian safety by being a good role model. Parents, caregivers, and older peers should set good examples for the younger kids, and not only should tell them, but show them how to be safe pedestrians. Older kids in the home or neighborhood should be told how important it is to be good role models.

* See that children know the safest route to a destination. Look for the most direct route with the fewest street crossings. You should walk the route with them until they demonstrate traffic safety awareness. They should take the same route every time and avoid shortcuts.

* Make sure youngsters always wear footwear and clothing that incorporates retroreflective material and carry a flashlight if walking at dawn or dusk. Retroreflective material redirects incoming light back to its source, such as a vehicle's headlights, making the material up to 1,500 times brighter than white fabric.

Children are particularly vulnerable to pedestrian death because they are exposed to traffic threats that exceed their cognitive, developmental, behavioral, physical, and sensory abilities. This is exacerbated by the fact that parents overestimate their offspring's pedestrian skills. Kids are impulsive and have difficulty judging speed, spatial relations, distance, and velocity. Auditory and visual acuity, depth perception, and proper scanning ability develop gradually and do not fully mature until at least age 10.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Society for the Advancement of Education
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