What are the Measures and Tips to Keep in Mind for Pedestrian Safety for Children?

Pedestrian deaths for children account for the fifth leading cause of deaths. Many such deaths can be avoided with safer and slower driving as well as more attentiveness on the part of children, teens, and parents. It should also be noted that teens account for a death rate twice as much as younger children. Education, awareness, and attentiveness can go a long way to protect children while walking across or near streets. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Teach Your Children Well. Safety experts recommend that parents teach their children at a young age to always look both ways before crossing, use crosswalks at all times available, obey traffic signals and lights, and to continue to be on the lookout for vehicles even while crossing the street.

Eliminate or Limit Distractions. Far too often, children (as well as adults) are seen approaching and crossing a street with their eyes focused on a mobile phone rather than the surroundings. Mobile phones should be put away and headphones should be removed when approaching and crossing a street.

Sidewalks and Crosswalks. It is best to use available sidewalks and crosswalks. Pedestrian signals and crosswalks are in place for a purpose. The same goes for sidewalks. It is also important to be attentive while using sidewalks as bicyclists often ride on the same sidewalks. In addition, vehicles often turn into and out of driveways. As such, being alert is important even when a child pedestrian is using a sidewalk.

Parental Supervision. It is generally recommend that children under the age of 10 are accompanied by an adult when walking across the street or any place where a vehicle when drive or turn. Furthermore, some children 10 and older may need adult supervision depending on their respective maturity, attentiveness, and judgment.

Light Colored Clothing and Flashlights at Night. Children are often hit by vehicles because the driver is not paying attention and / or does not notice the pedestrians. It is always helpful for children to wear bright colored clothes and to carry a flashlight when walking in the evening or night time hours.

Common sense and basic safety awareness can both go a long way to protecting children as pedestrians in every community. Injuries to a child pedestrian can often be quite significant and have a life time effect on the child. Furthermore, far too many children from toddlers to teens are killed every year due to the negligence of drivers and, at times, the pedestrian. The death of a child certainly has a ripple effect through the family, neighborhood, school, and community.

David Wolf is a child safety advocate and a personal injury attorney who has devoted his legal career to the protection and enforcement of the legal rights of children. He is the author of 12 books including the book titled - When the Wheels Stop Spinning - Legal Rights of the Injured Child - What Parents Need to Know After the Accident. The book has a section on Pedestrian Injuries and covers a number of topics including the following:

What are the legal rights of the injured child?

Should a parent pursue a case or claim on behalf of the child?

Who is responsible for paying the medial bills?

What factors are considered in a pedestrian child injury case?

You can get this book for free by completing the Contact Form on this website and requesting the book When the Wheels Stop Spinning. For over 30 years, David Wolf has worked diligently to Give a Voice to Injured Children and Their Families.