Kids Safety Bulletin Pedestrian Safety   by Don C. Keenan

With school just around the corner and everyone hurrying back into the routine of things, it’s important to make sure our kids are protected as pedestrians.

Consider these facts:

• In 2005, 2,348 children ages 0 to 15 years were killed in vehicle-related deaths.
• Pedestrian injury is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages five to 14.
• Children are at an increased risk for pedestrian injury and death because the traffic rules and risks often exceed their cognitive, developmental, behavioral, physical, and sensory abilities, according to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign.

Practice the following tips to ensure your child’s safety:

1.  Teach proper pedestrian behavior by being a good pedestrian yourself.

Parents are the best model children have of good pedestrian behavior.  Teach and practice safety precautions such as only crossing at street corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks when available, and making eye contact with drivers before crossing.

2.  Teach children to be aware of their surroundings.

Teach children to look LEFT, RIGHT, and then LEFT again when crossing a street, and to continue looking around when crossing.

3.  Stay out of the street when playing.

Do not allow children to play in driveways, streets, or parking lots.

4.  Teach safety around large vehicles.

Especially around schools where there are a lot of kids and buses, teach children to cross the street at least 10 feet in front of a school bus.  In large vehicles, it is harder for the driver to see the child at all times.

Don Keenan, founder of the Keenan’s Kids Foundation, has published a book on child  safety titled, 365 Ways to Keep Kids Safe, which is available at www.balloonpress.com or at www.amazon.com .  All proceeds benefit the Keenan’s Kids Foundation.

This article originally published on August 6, 2008.

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