According to a recent study published in Injury Prevention, fatalities among child pedestrians are twice as likely to happen near a park than they are close to a school. As a result, initiatives, such as the Safe Routes to School program, have been created to spread the word about pedestrian safety to kids.
Despite the effort being made, though, study researchers found these initiatives miss their mark. They tend to focus on more safety protocols around schools rather than near parks.
In a staggering statistic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cites pedestrians being struck by motor vehicles as the leading cause of death for those between the ages of 5 and 24. World Health Organization research shows that as many as 40 children around the world die as the result of such collisions.
One of the issues with vehicle pedestrian collisions involving children around parks is the lack of safety provisions in place. In areas near schools, there tend to be reduced speed limits, crossing guards and pedestrian cross walks.
Speed limits tend to be further reduced during times when children are entering or leaving school. However, around parks, these types of provisions tend not to be in place.
In fact, in looking at parks in several major cities across the country, including Charlotte, Dallas, Austin, Houston, Denver and Los Angeles, the researchers found speed limits around parks to be as high as 70 mph or abutted by four- to six-lane highways. These gave way to an even more dangerous crossing scenario.
One of the solutions that researchers recommended in their final report is to create parks in areas with less traffic, slower speeds and narrower roads. They say this combination would help reduce the risk and threat of injury to child pedestrians as they enter and leave areas around parks.
If your child has been injured or killed as a result of being struck by a vehicle while walking, a Los Angeles pedestrian accident attorney can provide advice and guidance as to how to attain closure.
Source: Foxnews.com/Reuters, “Child pedestrian deaths more likely around parks,” Jan. 27, 2017