Focusing on the Child Pedestrian

In 1994, 806 children ages 15 and younger were killed and 30,000 were injured as pedestrians.

That equals an average of 86 children killed or injured each day. Children aged five through 15 represent only 16 percent of the U.S. population. Yet they accounted for 30 percent of all pedestrian injuries in 1994.

The graphs at right show that fatality and injury rates are higher for young males than females. Pedestrian deaths among young males begin to rise even higher at age 16. However, this troubling trend is frequently overshadowed by the high motor vehicle occupant death rate for teenagers.

The headline below describes the type of crash in which young children are most frequently killed or injured as pedestrians. The child entered the street at midblock and was struck by a moving vehicle. The "midblock dart-out" accounts for 33 percent of all pedestrian crashes and for 38 percent of all serious pedestrian injuries.

Car Hits Child Running Into Street

The News & Observer, Spring 1994

Something Can Be Done

The injury and fatality rates for young pedestrians are troubling, but they can be changed. Kids can be taught to be more careful around moving vehicles. Programs to educate children to stop and look left, right and left before entering the street have been successful in reducing these injuries and deaths. And communities are calming traffic to reduce the severity and number of pedestrian crashes. As traffic slows down, children have a better chance of avoiding injury and death.