Mom always said “look both ways before you cross the street.” Sounds simple enough, but many young children can forget to follow even the simplest rules when they are playing outdoors with friends.             

“On average in the United States, a pedestrian is injured every eight minutes,” says Dr. Christopher Haines, director of the Emergency Department at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children.    

“Forty percent of pedestrian fatalities for individuals under the age of 16 occur between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Almost half of all pedestrian fatalities occur on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.”            

So how can you prevent your child from being involved in an accident?  

“The ideal situation is to always have an adult supervise your child when he or she is playing outside, but that isn’t always an option,” says Dr. Haines.  “Make sure your child is aware of common rules when playing outside, and set a good example.  Follow the same rules when crossing the street with your child.”            

Steps parents and guardians can take to protect their child include:

• Never allow your child to play in the street.
• Have your child wear reflective clothing when playing outside after dark.
• Instruct your child to never run after a ball or toy that has crossed the street.
• Children should always walk on the sidewalk. If there are no sidewalks, they should walk facing traffic.
• Never talk on a cell phone while crossing the street.
• Observe all traffic signs.            

Dr. Haines recommends parents and guardians teach their children the following safety tips when crossing the street:

• Stop at the curb or edge of the road.
• Look left, then right, then left again for moving cars before crossing.
• Walk, don’t run or dart, into the street.
• Keep looking left and right until you are safely across the street. 
• Look for signs that a car is about to move (rear lights, exhaust smoke, sound of motor, wheels turning).
• Walk alertly.
• Don’t cross from between parked cars.  

For more information, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Web site on Pedestrian Safety at: www.nhtsa.dot.gov/CPS/newtips/index.htm

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