Last Friday an 11-year-old boy was critically injured when hit by a vehicle in a car crash on the St. Charles riverfront. Since then he has remained in critical condition for the following several days, being treated in a local hospital since
the incident. According to investigation and witnesses, the child pulled away from his adult holding his hand at the crosswalk and ran between two vehicles during heavy congestion and was then hit in the car crash.
Pedestrian safety is something we should all keep on our minds, whether we’re walking or driving. Especially at this time of year, when the days are shorter and the dark comes out earlier—it makes it all the more reason to be a little more cautious around the roads to avoid a life-threatening car crash.
Parents and guardians are the first defense in protecting children from a car crash
According to the Automotive Safety Program at Indiana University School of Medicine, over 465 pedestrians were killed in 2011 due to motor accidents like a car crash—and 51% who died were 15-19 years old. This is a call for drivers to pay more attention to reckless behavior, and for us to remind our children to avoid behaving audaciously.
Over 80% of child pedestrian deaths occurred at non-intersection locations in 2010, meaning the risk of being involved in a fatal car crash is not just limited to where drivers expect people to be walking. Children under the age of 10 have underdeveloped maturity levels that do not allow them to accurately gauge the road dangers—which means moms and dads need to be there to both teach their kids proper safety measures and have proper surveillance on them when they are traveling near traffic-heavy areas and prevent a car crash.
Hold your children’s hands, look both ways before crossing the street, wear bright clothing when it’s dark outside…and most importantly practice these safety precautions yourself. You’ll be making the roads a safer place for you, your children, and the drivers—drastically reducing any chances of being involved in a tragic car crash.
