It's hard to believe it, but school has started which means kids are walking to, from, and around schools.
We talked with Personal Injury Attorney Craig Swapp about safety.
A staggering 68,000 pedestrians are hit by cars each year, and the victims are disproportionately children. Every year in Utah we have tragic cases where children are hit on streets near and around schools.
The good news is that many of the accidents involving kids hit by cars around schools are completely preventable. Swapp says an often overlooked safety tip for children crossing streets is to teach them to stay off the gadgets while crossing the street. Having headphones in or looking at a cell phone screen at an intersection is especially dangerous as the pedestrian is often inattentive to potential dangers around them.
Swapp also recommends that parents walk the route with their kids so that they understand the safety the route requires. You could do this on the first day of school or on a weekend, just so that the children learn where the correct places to cross the street on their route are located.
Make sure kids understand where to cross the street. They should always cross at crosswalks when available, and they need to be taught to follow the directions of the crossing guards. When there are no crosswalks they should be crossing safely at the corners of streets.
The bottom line is that it's everyone's responsibility to make sure kids are safe walking to, from and around schools. Awareness is the biggest thing. Once kids understand how to be safe around crosswalks and drivers start slowing down appropriately, there will be fewer tragedies involving kids walking around schools.
If you are involved in an accident, Craig Swapp & Associates can help. Call 1-800-404-9000 or visit craigswapp.com.
