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Keeping Boca Raton’s Young Pedestrians Safe

It feels like summer has just begun, but school is right around the corner. Soon children will be walking to school, some for the first time. Whether you are a driver or the parent of a child walking to school, it’s important to keep pedestrian safety tips in mind. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), four of the most common ways that children are hit by vehicles are[1]:

• A child darts out into the street
• A vehicle turns into the path of a child crossing the street
• A child is crossing the street in front of a school bus and a vehicle in another lane does not stop and hits them
• A vehicle is backing out of a driveway or parking lot and hits the child

Child Safety Walking Tips

To help keep your child safe, teach them to:

• Look, left, then right, then left before crossing the street. Practice this with them until they have internalized it before allowing them to cross the street themselves.
• Make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street to make sure the driver sees them.
• Cross only at crosswalks on a busy road. They should obey all traffic signals and/or a crossing guard’s instruction.
• Never multi-task when crossing the street. Their full attention must be on the traffic. They should not look at their phones, wear ear buds, or engage in any other activity that distracts them from crossing the street.
• Walk on the sidewalk. Even if the sidewalk is crowded, don’t walk in the street, and don’t roughhouse on the sidewalk – they could accidentally push a friend into traffic.

Driving Tips Near School Children

• Always obey the speed limit. This will help you stop quickly if a child is not looking and steps into traffic.
• Keep close tabs on your surroundings. Children may be distracted with texting and not paying as close attention to traffic as they should.
• Double or even triple check behind you before backing up if there are children around you.
• Always stop for a school bus that is picking up or discharging school children. Be on the lookout for children running across the street to catch the bus if they are late.
• Be especially careful driving in a school zone if it is raining or there is poor visibility.

Sadly, in spite of these precautions, 16% of the children aged 14 and younger killed in traffic accidents in 2020 were pedestrians[2]. Moreover, more than 5,000 additional pedestrians age 14 and younger were injured that year[3]. If your child has been injured or killed as a pedestrian, you may be able to recover damages for their and your losses. ECanter Lawyers are experts at securing compensation for pedestrian victims of motor vehicle accidents. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

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[1] NHTSA. 811027.pdf (nhtsa.gov). Accessed June 30, 2022.

[2] NHTSA. 2020 Data: Pedestrians (dot.gov). Accessed June 30, 2022.

[3] NHTSA. 2020 Data: Pedestrians (dot.gov). Table 2. Accessed June 30, 2022.