PEDESTRIAN PEDESTRIAN SAFETYSAFETY

INFORMATION AND INFORMATION AND PREVENTIONPREVENTION

TRAINING OBJECTIVESTRAINING OBJECTIVES

Recognize the risk factors that Recognize the risk factors that make children susceptible to make children susceptible to pedestrian injuries or fatalities.pedestrian injuries or fatalities.

Identify guidelines parents and Identify guidelines parents and adults can apply that can keep adults can apply that can keep children safe from pedestrian children safe from pedestrian injury. injury.

PEDESTRIAN SAFETYPEDESTRIAN SAFETY

According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, 68,000 pedestrians were injured in traffic crashes in 2004. On average, a pedestrian is injured every 8 minutes in the United States.

According to Safe Kids USA, more than 43,000 children ages 14 and under were treated in hospital emergency rooms in 2001 for pedestrian-related accidents.

MISSOURI PEDESTRIAN- MISSOURI PEDESTRIAN- RELATED CHILD RELATED CHILD FATALITIESFATALITIES Of the 91 reviewed motor vehicle Of the 91 reviewed motor vehicle

fatalities among Missouri children fatalities among Missouri children in 2006, eight were pedestrians; in 2006, eight were pedestrians; three of those were age four and three of those were age four and under; three others were between under; three others were between the ages of five and nine.the ages of five and nine.

• • In 2006, a six-year-old was In 2006, a six-year-old was crossing the street with two other crossing the street with two other young children, when she started young children, when she started running. She was struck by a running. She was struck by a passing vehicle.passing vehicle.

• • In 2006, aIn 2006, a four-year-old was left to play in the back yard of his home while the father went to back his truck into the garage. The child entered the garage as the truck was backing in, was struck and run over by the rear and run over by the rear wheel. wheel.

PEDESTRIAN DEATHS PEDESTRIAN DEATHS AMONG CHILDRENAMONG CHILDREN According to Safe Kids USA, According to Safe Kids USA,

children age four and under are at children age four and under are at greatest risk of traffic-related greatest risk of traffic-related pedestrian death and injury. pedestrian death and injury.

Most children are struck in streets Most children are struck in streets or driveways near their homes or driveways near their homes when darting out between parked when darting out between parked cars, walking along the edge of the cars, walking along the edge of the road, or crossing in the middle of road, or crossing in the middle of the block or in front of a turning the block or in front of a turning car. car.

Safe Kids USA lists other risk Safe Kids USA lists other risk factors for children: factors for children: Childhood pedestrian injuries Childhood pedestrian injuries

occur most often in residential occur most often in residential areas and on local roads that are areas and on local roads that are straight, paved and dry. straight, paved and dry.

More than half of all pedestrian More than half of all pedestrian injuries occur when a vehicle is injuries occur when a vehicle is backing up. backing up.

For all age groups, traffic-related For all age groups, traffic-related pedestrian death is twice as likely pedestrian death is twice as likely in cities as in the country. in cities as in the country.

High traffic volume, a high High traffic volume, a high number of parked cars on the number of parked cars on the street, higher posted speed limits, street, higher posted speed limits, absence of a divided highway and absence of a divided highway and few pedestrian control devices few pedestrian control devices such as crosswalks are all factors such as crosswalks are all factors that increase the likelihood of that increase the likelihood of pedestrian injury. pedestrian injury.

According to Safe Kids USA, According to Safe Kids USA, pedestrian injury remains the pedestrian injury remains the second leading cause of second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death unintentional injury-related death among children ages 5 to 14. among children ages 5 to 14.

According to the American According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, College of Emergency Physicians, forty percent of all young (under forty percent of all young (under the age of 16) pedestrian the age of 16) pedestrian fatalities occurred between 3 p.m. fatalities occurred between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The National Highway Traffic The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration lists the Safety Administration lists the following as risk factors for young following as risk factors for young children: children: They can not judge speed or They can not judge speed or

distance of vehicles moving towards distance of vehicles moving towards them. them.

They move quickly and can run into They move quickly and can run into the street without warning. the street without warning.

They are small and hard for drivers They are small and hard for drivers to see. to see.

They don’t know safety rules and They don’t know safety rules and expect adults to watch out for them. expect adults to watch out for them.

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY PEDESTRIAN SAFETY FOR CHILDRENFOR CHILDREN

Safe Kids USA lists the following Safe Kids USA lists the following as guidelines parents can use to as guidelines parents can use to keep their children safe: keep their children safe: Do not allow a child under the age Do not allow a child under the age

of 10 to cross streets alone. Adult of 10 to cross streets alone. Adult supervision is vital until a child supervision is vital until a child demonstrates traffic skills and demonstrates traffic skills and judgments.judgments.

Require children to carry a flashlight Require children to carry a flashlight at night, dawn, and dusk. Reflective at night, dawn, and dusk. Reflective materials should be added to a child’s materials should be added to a child’s clothing. clothing.

Play in driveways, unfenced yards, Play in driveways, unfenced yards, and streets or parking lots should be and streets or parking lots should be prohibited. prohibited.

Children should take the same routes Children should take the same routes to common destinations (such as to common destinations (such as school) every time/day. Parents school) every time/day. Parents should walk with their children to find should walk with their children to find the safest path. The most direct route the safest path. The most direct route with the fewest street crossings with the fewest street crossings should be used. should be used.

According to the National Highway According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Administration, parents should teach the safe parents should teach the safe street crossing method. Children street crossing method. Children should be taught to: should be taught to: Cross with an adult or an older friend. Cross with an adult or an older friend. Cross at an intersection where there Cross at an intersection where there

are signals. are signals. Use the crosswalk when crossing near Use the crosswalk when crossing near

a corner. Watch for turning vehicles.a corner. Watch for turning vehicles.

Stop at the curb. Look left, right, Stop at the curb. Look left, right, left, and over the shoulder for left, and over the shoulder for traffic. Continue to look as you traffic. Continue to look as you cross the street. cross the street.

Stop to look around parked cars Stop to look around parked cars or other objects that block the or other objects that block the view of traffic. Let oncoming view of traffic. Let oncoming traffic pass, then look again traffic pass, then look again before crossing, as you cross. before crossing, as you cross.

Make eye contact with drivers to Make eye contact with drivers to make sure they see you. make sure they see you.

For More InformationFor More Information

Safe Kids USA, Safe Kids USA, http://www.usa.safekids.org/tier2_rl.cfm?folder_id=175http://www.usa.safekids.org/tier2_rl.cfm?folder_id=175

American College of Emergency Physicians,American College of Emergency Physicians, http://www.acep.org/patients.aspx?id=26166

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/CPS/newtips/images/PDFs/CPSafetuTip8.pdf

Missouri Department of Social Missouri Department of Social Services State Technical Services State Technical Assistance TeamAssistance Team

Address:Address:

PO Box 208PO Box 208Jefferson City, MO Jefferson City, MO 65102-020865102-0208

Telephone: Telephone: (573) 751-5980(573) 751-5980(800) 487-1626(800) 487-1626(8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST, Monday – CST, Monday – Friday) Friday)

Email:Email:

   dls.stat@dss.mo.gov