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According to the US Department of Transportation nearly one-fifth of the traffic deaths among children ages 5-9 years were sustained by pedestrians. Children are put at a higher risk for many reasons. To reduce this risk it is important that we take the time to educate our children in simple but effective ways to safely traverse our environment. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention through their program KidsWalk-to-School suggests improving safety on the walk to and from school by
- Encouraging children to walk in groups.
- Organizing responsible adults to accompany the children as they walk to and from school.
- Teaching and practicing safe pedestrian behavior on the walk to and from school.
- Empowering neighborhoods to work together with local agencies, such as the department of public works, to identify and create safe routes to school.
- Partnering with local police to enforce speeds in and around the neighborhood and school.
- Provide crossing guards for children on their way to and from school.
- In addition to traffic safety, fear of bullies or gangs loitering at street corners, or strangers lurking in our neighborhoods may affect a parent's willingness to allow their children to walk to school. By encouraging children to walk in groups accompanied by adults, the risk of danger is decreased in these situations.
It is all about effective communication. We can communicate with our children on how to be safe, with our neighbors, our police, and our community. This can be carried out directly, through our school newsletters, through the use of Stoneham Access TV and newspapers to get the message out that that our children are out there.
Slow Down and Watch out for them! |
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