(Continued from previous page)

Children under the age of 10 years are at risk because they have:

· Only one-third the peripheral vision of adults.
· Difficulty locating the source of sounds.
· A smaller size, making it difficult for them to see vehicles and for drivers to see them.
· Difficulty "seeing" a situation from another person's viewpoint.
· Difficulty judging the speed and distance of cars, trains, buses, etc.
· Poor search behavior.
· An unwillingness to change from a direct route even if it is dangerous.
· The ability to only think about one thing at a time.
· Lack of cause and effect thinking and high distractibility.
· Parents and adults overestimating their road crossing ability.
· Lack of knowledge, skills and experience to cope safely with the traffic environment.
· Pedestrian injuries are the leading cause of trauma death for children ages 5-9.
· Children ages one to six are more likely to die in a traffic accident than from any other cause.
· Most preschoolers are injured near their home or on their own street.
· Most injuries happen between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m.
· Most injuries occur in fair and warm weather.
· Twice as many boys are injured than girls.

Prevention

· When crossing the street, children should hold an adult's hand and cross at designated areas.
· Children should never cross the street between parked cars.
· Teach your child to always look left, right, then left again before crossing and to watch for turning cars.
· If no sidewalk is present and it is necessary to walk in the roadway, children should walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic.
· When walking after dark, reflective materials should be worn.
· Fence-off areas near streets or roads where small children may play.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

o Child Pedestrian Safety Program, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, 1995.
o NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts, 1996 - Pedestrians
o Walking Through the Years, Pedestrian Safety Tip, NHTSA
o Road Safety Publications Fact Sheet: Why are Primary Aged Children at Risk?
o Child Pedestrian Safety Program, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, 1995.
o Children Safety Network, 1991; Rivera, 1991; AAA,1991
o Prevent Pedestrian Accidents: Preschool Children, NHTSA, 1990.
o Scottish Rite Children's Hospital Medical Canter, Child Safety Tips: Pedestrian Safety Fact Sheet, 1998