Because depth perception isn't fully developed at this age, children can’t accurately judge the distance of an approaching car. Drivers must slow down and be alert in areas where they live and play. Kids Dart Drive Smart is a safety message and campaign designed to keep kids safe near streets and neighborhoods.
Put a "Kids dart" sign in your yard through September.
Signs are available for pick up beginning August 4 at all Allen County fire stations while supplies last. Please follow your city sign ordinance when placing these signs in your yard. Also, place the sign in your yard as if the child on the sign is running toward the street.
Back to school increases child pedestrian injuries
Pedestrian injury remains the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 5 to 14. When Indiana weather warms up in the spring, emergency departments and trauma units see a dramatic spike in childhood injuries. As the summer progresses, the number of injuries, while remaining high, decreases in number from the spring. However, few people realize that the fall "Back to School" season also results in a significant increase in children injured as pedestrians or bicyclists.
Motorists
- Drive slowly and be alert in areas where children play and live—including driveways.
- Focus on driving and resist distractions.
- Watch for pedestrians when turning right at a light.
Pedestrians
- Look both ways and listen before crossing the street.
- Cross only at crosswalks or intersections, and cross with an adult if under age 10.
- Use sidewalks.
- Don't talk on a phone or text when crossing the street.
How many children are injured?
From 1999-2004, there were 4,950 pedestrian fatalities among children 17 years of age and younger in the United States (CDC WISQARS Database). Indiana children accounted for 94 of these deaths.
Deaths only tell part of the story, however. It is estimated that in 2005, more than 46,000 children were injured as pedestrians. There has been a steady decline in pedestrian fatalities; however, this may be due more to the decline in the number of children walking than other factors such as safety education programs or environmental changes.
It is difficult to know how many children in Indiana required medical treatment for injuries sustained as a pedestrian since this data is not uniformly collected throughout the state. As seen nationally, more males (62 percent) were treated for pedestrian injuries than females. Nationally, children age 5-9 years sustain the highest percentage of injuries. At Clarian, however, both 5-9 year olds (32 percent) and 10-14 year olds (33 percent) were equally represented.
Toddlers are most likely to be injured in "backover" injuries. These occur when a child is struck by a car backing out of the driveway. A common situation is when the child, who may have followed a family member out of the house, runs behind the car. The child believes that the driver can see him?after all, the child can see the car.
Most pedestrian injuries in children age 3-9 occur when children “dart out” mid-block, sometimes from between parked cars. While 10- to 17-year-old children and teens have better traffic crossing skills, they are also more likely to be injured on busier streets.
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