The age old joke starts ‘Why did the chicken cross the road?’, but this idea has been flipped on its head with Safe Kids Worldwide’s new campaign on distracted walking. Underscored with the tagline, “What every hip chick needs to know about distracted walking”. The short PSA gives a quick insight into the world of distracted walking in classic joke concept.
Whether your kids are walking to school, the park or a friend’s house, here are a few simple tips to make sure they get there safely.
The Hard Facts
Unintentional pedestrian injuries are the fifth leading cause of injury-related death in the United States for children ages 5 to 19. Teenagers are now at greatest risk. Teens have a death rate twice that of younger children and account for half of all child pedestrian deaths.
Top Tips
- Talk to your kids about how to be safe while walking. It’s always best to walk on sidewalks or paths and cross at street corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks.
- Teach kids at an early age to put down their devices and then look left, right and left again when crossing the street.
- Children under 10 should cross the street with an adult. Every child is different, but developmentally, it can be hard for kids to judge speed and distance of cars until age 10..
- Remind kids to make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street and to watch out for cars that are turning or backing up.
- When driving,be especially alert in residential neighborhoods and school zones and be on the lookout for bikers, walkers or runners who may be distracted or may step into the street unexpectedly.
