5 Tips to Help Prevent Kids from Getting Hit in Traffic
Jan26
Posted by The Law Firm of Pajcic & Pajcic in Personal Injury
There were 4,743 pedestrian fatalities in the United States in a single recent year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). About 5 percent of those were children under the age of 15. Another 76,000 pedestrians sustained injuries in vehicle-related accidents, including roughly 11,000 children ages 14 and younger. Approximately 10 percent of Florida’s catastrophic car accidents resulting in pedestrian fatalities involve children under the age of 19.
In an effort to keep children safe in and around Jacksonville and elsewhere in Florida, we have put together five tips to help prevent kids from getting hit in traffic:
Walk with your children until you are certain of their abilities.
Supervise your children while they learn about pedestrian safety. While children like to be given a certain amount of independence, the most effective way to avoid a tragic pedestrian accident is to walk with your children until you are sure they can safely do it alone. Teach your children along the way so they know what to do at a stop sign, at a stoplight, where to cross and where not to cross. Keep in mind that children can easily become distracted, so it is important that the basics of pedestrian safety become ingrained. Even after you are certain of your children’s abilities, it is safest if they walk with a group of people or at least one other adult.
Be aware of where your children walk.
Some areas are safer for pedestrians, particularly younger children, than other areas. If your children are going to be walking around town, going to friends’ houses, or walking to and from school, take the time to map out their route. Walk the route yourself so you can observe any potential dangers or hazards. If there are safer alternatives, have your children take those. If not, discuss the possible risks with your children and go over what they should do if any danger is encountered.
Teach your children to always stop, look and wait before crossing the street.
Ideally, parents should try to minimize the number of times their children will have to cross the street to get where they’re going. If your children have to cross the street, teach them that the safest place to cross is at an intersection or designated signal. If they come to an intersection with no walk signal, they need to stop at the curb, look both ways (left, right, then left again) for oncoming traffic, then wait until it is clear before crossing the street. Pedestrians should never assume a vehicle sees them. Always wait until the vehicle stops or the driver indicates he or she sees you and it is okay to cross. Never run across the street. Walk and continue to look both ways while doing so.
Have your child walk on the sidewalk (or facing traffic if there is no sidewalk).
Pedestrians of any age should always walk on the sidewalk. If the road or street lacks a sidewalk, pedestrians should walk facing traffic. Doing this will make it easier for them to see oncoming vehicles and potentially avoid a deadly collision. Parents should do everything they can to make sure their child’s route contains designated sidewalks.
Dress your child in brightly colored clothes.
Wearing brightly colored clothes is another key safety tip for pedestrians. Children who are dressed in bright colors will be seen more easily by motorists. This is true regardless of whether the child is walking in the early morning hours, afternoon or after dark. Reflective material on shoes, hats and jackets can also alert drivers to the fact that someone is there.
Help for Victims of Pedestrian Accidents
Unfortunately, even if your child does everything right, there is still a serious risk of being involved in a pedestrian accident. The roads are full of careless drivers who don’t take the time or make the effort to look for people on foot. Some reckless drivers fail to yield to pedestrians. Drunk and distracted drivers pose a serious threat to pedestrians no matter how cautious the pedestrian is.
If your child has been injured in a collision with a motor vehicle, it is critical to get help from an experienced personal injury lawyer. You may be able to recover compensation from the driver who hit your child. Sadly, some drivers who hit pedestrians flee the scene. If your child was hurt by a hit-and-run driver, you may still be able to recover benefits through the uninsured / underinsured motorist coverage on your policy. An attorney can help you seek out all potential sources of recovery.
There were 4,743 pedestrian fatalities in the United States in a single recent year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). About 5 percent of those were children under the age of 15. Another 76,000 pedestrians sustained injuries in vehicle-related accidents, including roughly 11,000 children ages 14 and younger. Approximately 10 percent of Florida’s catastrophic car accidents resulting in pedestrian fatalities involve children under the age of 19.
In an effort to keep children safe in and around Jacksonville and elsewhere in Florida, we have put together five tips to help prevent kids from getting hit in traffic:
Supervise your children while they learn about pedestrian safety. While children like to be given a certain amount of independence, the most effective way to avoid a tragic pedestrian accident is to walk with your children until you are sure they can safely do it alone. Teach your children along the way so they know what to do at a stop sign, at a stoplight, where to cross and where not to cross. Keep in mind that children can easily become distracted, so it is important that the basics of pedestrian safety become ingrained. Even after you are certain of your children’s abilities, it is safest if they walk with a group of people or at least one other adult.
Some areas are safer for pedestrians, particularly younger children, than other areas. If your children are going to be walking around town, going to friends’ houses, or walking to and from school, take the time to map out their route. Walk the route yourself so you can observe any potential dangers or hazards. If there are safer alternatives, have your children take those. If not, discuss the possible risks with your children and go over what they should do if any danger is encountered.
Ideally, parents should try to minimize the number of times their children will have to cross the street to get where they’re going. If your children have to cross the street, teach them that the safest place to cross is at an intersection or designated signal. If they come to an intersection with no walk signal, they need to stop at the curb, look both ways (left, right, then left again) for oncoming traffic, then wait until it is clear before crossing the street. Pedestrians should never assume a vehicle sees them. Always wait until the vehicle stops or the driver indicates he or she sees you and it is okay to cross. Never run across the street. Walk and continue to look both ways while doing so.
Pedestrians of any age should always walk on the sidewalk. If the road or street lacks a sidewalk, pedestrians should walk facing traffic. Doing this will make it easier for them to see oncoming vehicles and potentially avoid a deadly collision. Parents should do everything they can to make sure their child’s route contains designated sidewalks.
Wearing brightly colored clothes is another key safety tip for pedestrians. Children who are dressed in bright colors will be seen more easily by motorists. This is true regardless of whether the child is walking in the early morning hours, afternoon or after dark. Reflective material on shoes, hats and jackets can also alert drivers to the fact that someone is there.
Help for Victims of Pedestrian Accidents
Unfortunately, even if your child does everything right, there is still a serious risk of being involved in a pedestrian accident. The roads are full of careless drivers who don’t take the time or make the effort to look for people on foot. Some reckless drivers fail to yield to pedestrians. Drunk and distracted drivers pose a serious threat to pedestrians no matter how cautious the pedestrian is.
If your child has been injured in a collision with a motor vehicle, it is critical to get help from an experienced personal injury lawyer. You may be able to recover compensation from the driver who hit your child. Sadly, some drivers who hit pedestrians flee the scene. If your child was hurt by a hit-and-run driver, you may still be able to recover benefits through the uninsured / underinsured motorist coverage on your policy. An attorney can help you seek out all potential sources of recovery.
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