Teach your child pedestrian safety

Each year in the United States, more than 47,000 children age 14 and younger are injured as pedestrians. Of these children, about 700 die.

The beginning and end of the school year, when more children are on the streets, pose the greatest risk to children. Most injuries occur between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and children who are between the ages of 5 and 9 are at greatest risk. Most children are hit by vehicles after darting into traffic from between two parked cars.

Very few children under 10 years of age can deal safely with traffic. These children are at risk because:

• They are impulsive and tend to do things without thinking first.
• They believe that if they can see a driver, the driver can see them.
• They believe cars can stop instantly.
• Few can judge the speed of traffic or distances.
• A child's field of vision is one-third of an adult's.
• They do not recognize or react to unsafe situations.

The best advice is for parents to be examples for their children. Younger children are at the highest risk of being involved in an accident because they have not yet developed a sense of danger.

Before letting children cross streets alone, it is important for parents to cross the streets hundreds of times with them. Children develop skills through repetition and positive reinforcement.

Parents should practice the following safety skills with their children:

• Learn to read and understand traffic signals and signs.
• Be alert to potential hazards.
• Look left, right and left again before crossing roadways.
• Stop at the curb or edge of the road before crossing the street.
• Never run into a street.
• Once a street is clear, it usually is safe to cross. However, keep looking for oncoming traffic until the street has been safely crossed.