Pedestrian Safety

Unintentional pedestrian injuries are the 5th leading cause of injury-related deaths for children. Teach kids at an early age how to safely cross the street. Look left, right, and left again before crossing. Keep looking around until safely across. If a car is near, make eye contact with the driver to ensure he sees you. Watch for cars that are turning or backing up, and never cross between parked cars.

Whether your kids are walking to school, the park or a friend’s house, here are a few simple tips to make sure they get there safely.

The Facts

Unintentional pedestrian injuries are the fifth leading cause of injury-related death in the United States for children ages 5 to 19. Teenagers are now at greatest risk. Teens have a death rate twice that of younger children and account for half of all child pedestrian deaths.

Top Tips

• Teach kids at an early age to look left, right, and left again before crossing the street. Then remind them to continue looking around until safely across.
• If a car is near, make eye contact with the driver to ensure he sees you.
• Watch for cars that are turning or backing up.
• Never cross between parked cars.
• Don’t cross in the middle of the block. Cross at corners using traffic signals and crosswalk when available.
• Be especially alert, avoiding distractions such as looking at your phone or listening to music.
• Put reflective materials on backpacks, jackets, and shoes.
• It’s always best to walk on sidewalks or paths and cross at street corners.  If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.
• Children under 10 need to cross the street with an adult. Every child is different, but developmentally, most kids are unable to judge the speed and distance of oncoming cars until age 10.
• Be a good role model. Set a good example by putting your phone, headphones and devices down when walking around cars.

Walk to School Day

Millions of children from countries around the world participate in Safe Kids Walk This Way events for International Walk to School Day in October. The events raise community and global awareness about walking safety and promote healthy behaviors.

Since 2002, Safe Kids Springfield has been participating in Walk This Way, providing activities, events and programs at area schools to promote safe walking practices and environments. If your school is interested in participating in this event, please contact Safe Kids Springfield at 417-820-6671.