Children hit by automobiles statistics.
Many local schools will be open next week. According to a study by the Safe Kids, sixty-one children are hit by automobiles every day in the United States most often during the hours before and after school. It is not a coincidence that children being hit by automobiles peaks in September. September is the first month of a new school year.
The Safe Kids organization has some tips for Parents and Children walking to school:
- Teach kids at an early age to look left, right and left again before crossing the street. Then remind them to continue looking until safely across.
- Teach kids to put phones, headphones and devices down when crossing the street. It is particularly important to reinforce this message with teenagers.
- It’s always best to walk on sidewalks or paths and cross at street corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.
- Children under 10 years old 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.
Another activity that smart phones have created is “distracted walking” that is texting, looking at, or talking on a cell phone while walking. The National Safety Council has identified “distracted walking” as a safety concern and is trying to build awareness of how dangerous this activity can be. The Nielsen Company, a teenager 13 to 17 years old send seven text messages every hour they are wake on average (3,400 text messages a month on average). With other technology advances, distractions while walking with a smart phone are on the increase because it’s not just text messaging that’s leading to “distracted walking”.
The National Safety Council recommends these safety tips:
- Never walk while texting or talking on the phone
- If texting, move out of the way of others and stop on the sidewalk
- Never cross the street while using an electronic device
- Do not walk with headphones on
- Be aware of the surroundings
- Always walk on the sidewalk if one is available; if a child must walk on the street, he or she should face oncoming traffic
- Look left, right, then left again before crossing the street
- Cross only at crosswalks
In New Jersey, there is also laws designed to make sure that drivers are not distracted by smart phones. One of those laws is the New Jersey’s Distracted Driving Law – “U Drive, U Text, U Pay.” It is especially critical for motorists to pay attention in school zones, drop-off and pickup areas, and all crosswalks, to keep children safe as the school year begins.
Cross guards play an important role in insuring children arrive at school safely. Please follow the crossing guards instructions when crossing the street. Be an example for children and cross in the crosswalk and not in the middle of the street. Crossing in the middle of the street is a dangerous especially for small children who are not as visible to drivers as adults.