A basic primer on pedestrian safety for children (and you)
Once children express an interest in exploring their world or walking to and from school without supervision, it is time to talk about pedestrian safety. You may have already taught them some things, like looking both ways for traffic before crossing a road. However, there is more they should learn.
Many people are ditching their cars in favor of walking to get more exercise and reduce carbon emissions. However, there are many injury and accident hazards to beware of.
Avoid these areas
You can enhance safety for your kids by teaching them to avoid certain conditions. For example, instruct them to choose a different path or road instead of walking in higher traffic areas. Other places to avoid include:
- Roads with fast speed limits
- Paths without crosswalk signals
- Streets where cars park alongside the road
Even residential areas are often the site of pedestrian accidents involving children. Drivers too often don’t watch as carefully as they should in these areas.
Safety tips to instill
Every time you take a walk with your children or accompany them to school is an opportunity to teach them pedestrian safety. Top areas of focus include:
- Facing toward oncoming traffic
- Using pedestrian control devices like crosswalk signals
- Looking left, right and left again before crossing the street
- Staying ten feet away from large vehicles like buses and trucks
- Crossing at corners and intersections instead of the middle of the road
These tips teach your kids good walking behaviors and to always pay attention to traffic patterns and possible hazards—two safety lessons to protect them for life.
When pedestrian accident injuries impact your life, explore your options for compensation and holding the responsible parties accountable for their negligence.