Child Pedestrian Safety

Most parents teach their young children to look both ways before they cross the street, but there is a lot more that kids should know about pedestrian safety. With Pinellas County schools back in session on August 11th, now is the time to make sure that your kids know how to keep themselves safe while walking to school. 

When possible, kids should stay on the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk available the next best choice is to walk on the shoulder, maintaining a safe distance from vehicles. If kids are walking in the road in a quiet neighborhood they should stay close to the edge. Whenever they are not using a sidewalk, they should walk facing oncoming traffic so that they can see any potential danger and be ready to react. Avoid horseplay near traffic, and stay alert – phones and headphones can prevent kids from being aware of their surroundings. 

Teach kids to always find the safest place to cross the street. Most routes to schools have a crossing guard, so those are their best bet. Kids should follow the crossing guard’s instructions and only enter the intersection when they say it is safe to do so. If a crossing guard isn’t available, they should use a marked pedestrian crosswalk. At signaled crosswalks, they should press the button to activate the flashing lights, and then wait until all cars have stopped before crossing. Older children who need to cross large intersections by themselves should be taught about traffic light cycles, and cautioned to only cross when the “Walk” signal is illuminated. 

No matter where they cross, kids should make sure they are visible to drivers. Avoid being obscured by bushes, parked cars, or other obstacles. They should pause at the curb before crossing, both to see the traffic and to allow the traffic to see them. Look both ways, and listen too. When it is safe to cross, they should move in a straight line, walking quickly but not running.

According to Kids and Car Safety, about 50 kids are backed over in driveways every week in the U.S., and about two of those accidents each week are fatal. Driveways are very dangerous for children – there are obstacles such as landscaping, and large vehicles with blind spots have a hard time seeing anything close to them. At every driveway, kids should look and listen to determine if a vehicle is occupied and running. Never walk behind or in front of a vehicle that is running. Kids should never assume that the driver is aware of them. 

Kids should avoid walking in the dark, but with early school start times, or even cloudy weather, kids might be out in low light. They should wear reflective clothing and have a flashlight if they walk at dawn or dusk.

If possible, walk with younger children in the morning and meet them after school. As you walk, point out the safety rules they should follow, and model safe pedestrian behavior yourself. Teach them young so that when they are old enough to walk to school or to the bus stop on their own, they know about pedestrian safety.