Take a busy morning or afternoon. Add in congested roadways, harried parents and commuters, and hundreds of kids descending on one location. Repeat twice a day times 180 days throughout a school year. It’s easy to how safety can get compromised.
Accidents on the Rise
Pedestrian deaths and injuries throughout the U.S. continue to increase. In 2022, 7,522 pedestrians were killed, and more than 67,000 were injured nationwide, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That’s the highest number of fatalities since 1981. Similarly, bicycle deaths increased from 623 in 2010 to 966 in 2021, according to the League of American Bicyclists.
Around schools, safety issues can intensify. Congestion is inevitable with so many people and vehicles converging on a single location.
“Mornings and after-school hours are hurried times for parents and commuters alike,” says Dr. Nathan Larsen, an Emergency Medicine Physician at ThedaCare Medical Center-Waupaca and New London. “It’s important to take deep breath, slow down, and keep safety top of mind.”
“Vehicle-pedestrian crashes are devastating when they occur and are 100% preventable,” adds Officer Ryan McCord, Traffic Safety Officer for the Appleton Police Department. “It takes the ownership of all drivers and pedestrians to solve this problem. Remaining undistracted while on the roadways and slowing down are essential steps everyone should take to reduce these types of incidents from occurring.”
Every child deserves to get to and from school safely each day. ThedaCare and the Appleton Police Department are partnering to share tips aimed at helping ensure safe travel for kids. The first of our two-part series looks at walking and biking.
Walking
Walking to school is a great way to get more exercise into your day. But it’s also essential for children and parents to know and follow the rules of the road.
Younger children — ages 5 and 6 — should always walk with an adult to school. Children between the ages of 7 and 9 usually can walk safely as part of a group of friends or siblings. By age 10, kids should be able to walk on their own, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. But remember, each child is different, and some kids may not be ready until they’re a little older.
Follow these additional tips:
- Review the correct way to cross the street with children: Stop at the curb and look left, right, left, behind, and in front of you for traffic. If there is no traffic, walk — don’t run — across the street. While crossing the street, stay alert to any oncoming traffic.
- Obey traffic rules: Stop at all intersections and driveways to look for traffic. Follow traffic signal directions, and listen to crossing guards about when it’s safe to cross.
- Stay alert: Remain on the lookout for vehicles. Avoid listening to music so you’ll hear if traffic is approaching.
- Stay on sidewalks if possible. If it’s necessary to walk in the road, stay on the left side. It’s safest to walk facing oncoming traffic.
- Take the same route to school — avoid shortcuts.
- Students shouldn’t push, shove, or chase each other when they’re near the street.
- Remind children to never take rides from others unless you’ve arranged them ahead of time.
- Parents of middle school and high school students should talk to their kids about safety as well. Tweens and teens may be likelier to engage in risky behavior.
Biking
Riding a bike is another popular way that children can get to school. Follow these precautions.
- Always wear a helmet. Parents and guardians should model this habit.
- Pick the right route. Work with your child to determine the safest route to school, including using bike lanes or bike trails to get there. Choose routes with the least amount of traffic. Once you a establish a route, tell your child to always follow it.
- Follow the rules of the road. Stop at stop signs and follow the direction of traffic signals.
- Ride single file in the same direction as traffic.
- Pay attention. Be alert for vehicles backing out of driveways or pulling away from the curb.
- Learn proper hand signals. If turning left, stick out your arm to the left. To turn right, hold your left arm up at a right angle (it should look like an “L”). To stop, hold your left arm down at a right angle (it should look like an upside-down “L”).
- Keep both hands on the handlebars (unless signaling).
A Safe School Year
Walking and biking are wonderful ways to travel to school. They provide physical activity, a chance for kids to practice independence, and a way to reduce the environmental impact of driving. Safety measures can help ensure children stay safe on their journey.
“With the start of a new school year on the horizon, drivers must remember that the school year is a time for increased pedestrian and bike traffic on and along our roadways,” McCord says. “It’s imperative that drivers slow down and ensure that they are not only looking for vehicular traffic but also pedestrian traffic.”
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