Tips for teaching your child to be a safe pedestrian

Around 20% of all deaths to children under 15 years old are due to vehicles hitting them when they are out on foot. The chances of a child surviving a pedestrian accident are particularly slim. When they do survive, they are likely to suffer severe injury.

Why are young children so vulnerable to pedestrian accidents?

There are various reasons why children are more susceptible to a pedestrian accident than adults:

• They are more likely to be playing out on the street
• They are more likely to be walking, skating or riding their bike than adults because they cannot drive
• They can quickly get over-excited and forget where they are
• They do not have the same ability to assess risk
• They are smaller, so the car is more likely to impact their head or vital organs
• Their bodies are more fragile

What can you do as a parent to help your child be a safe pedestrian?

As a parent, you cannot account for the actions of drivers. All you can do is try and prepare your child to stay safe on the street. Here are some tips:

• Teach them to cross at crossing points
• Teach them not to cross between parked cars
• Teach them to check both ways before crossing
• Limit the area they can play in to avoid busy roads
• Ensure they are dressed to be more visible

There are legal options available should the worst happen, and a driver injures your child. While compensation can never repair the harm done to the child and the trauma caused to you as a parent, it should, at the very least, cover the medical bills.