Child Safety: Common Causes And Prevention For Children Getting Hit By Cars
Children hit by cars can sometimes result in fatal injuries because of the vulnerability they have due to their small size. The death count of children under the age of 16 because of car accidents yearly is around 1,700, and almost 100 of those under the age of 4. However, the incidence of these fatalities can be decreased with sufficient attention and help. Awareness programs, educating parents and communities, and implementing rules and regulations to safeguard children can all help impact and avoid situations that lead to fatal injuries.
Why Does This Happen?
The blame for this situation falls on both sides. While drivers tend to over speed in school zones and other pedestrian areas, the children don’t hesitate in darting in front of the cars and jaywalking as well.
A few of the many reasons children become car hit victims:
- Backing into a child:
Because of their small heights, children often get backed into when someone is reversing their cars from garages or parking lots.
- Breaking red lights:
There is no justification for someone breaking a red light in pedestrians or any other areas as well. The consequences of this always end up against them if they hit a kid.
- Distracted drivers and child pedestrians:
It is nothing new to report that vehicles and children, primarily pre-teens, collide with each other while being distracted on their phones.
- Jaywalking:
Children jaywalking rather than using a crosswalk or a sidewalk is also one of the main reasons they end up in a hospital with mild, or sometimes, serious injuries.
- Unsupervised children:
There have been many cases reported that kids under the age of 10 are hit when they cross a road or street with no adult supervision.
Things That Can Be Useful To Keep Children Safe:
- Before crossing, children should glance to the left, right, and then left again.
- Before crossing the street, children should try to make eye contact with drivers.
- Cars backing up or turning should be avoided by children.
- Parents should teach children to cross streets at crosswalks and utilize traffic signals.
- Children should be taught to pause before every traffic lane.
- Children should cross in front of a school bus, not behind one.
- Children should cross a road by walking and not running.
- Children should be cautioned never to rush into the street to pursue a pet, ball, or toy.
- Children should not be wearing any headphones or earpieces that make them oblivious to their surroundings.
- Children should not get discouraged if fellow pedestrians can cross the road and they can’t. They should not mindlessly follow them but cross at their own speed.
- Children should not stand on dividers that are less than half a meter wide.
- Children under the age of 10 should not cross roadways by themselves.
- Drivers should follow the speed limit of 20 kph in pedestrian areas.
- Children should walk on sidewalks or walkways wherever available.
- Lastly, make sure not to use a phone or any other device while crossing a road and be attentive to the surroundings.
