Pedestrian Safety

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 Hard Facts

Unintentional pedestrian injuries are the second leading cause of death in the United States for children ages 5 to 14. Teenagers are now at greatest risk. Teens have a death rate twice that of younger children and account for half of all child pedestrian injuries in the past five years.

Top Tips

• Talk to your kids about how to be safe while walking. Always walk on sidewalks or paths and cross at street corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks.
• Teach kids to look left, right and left again when crossing the street. Remind them to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them and to watch out for cars that are turning or backing up.
• If your children need to use a cell phone, make sure they stop walking and find a safe area to talk. Teach kids to look up and pay extra attention when using headphones and to remove them when crossing the street.
• Drivers should look both ways when looking for bikers, walkers or runners who may not be immediately visible. Drivers should also reduce distractions such as cell phones.

Learn More

Here are a few more tips on how to keep kids safe while on foot, as well as some tips for walkers and drivers on Halloween.