Safe Kids Wake County and FedEx Lead Local Activities on International Walk to School Day
Raleigh holds one of more than 500 international events to teach children how to be safe pedestrians
Raleigh, NC - In observance of International Walk to School Day on October 3, Safe Kids Wake County and FedEx volunteers will parade to school to call attention to pedestrian safety. More than 200 children will participate in the event.
Nationwide, pedestrian injuries are the number two cause of accidental death among children ages 5 to 14. Each year in the United States more than 630 children are killed and 33,000 treated in emergency rooms as a result of pedestrian injuries. According to injury statistics, African American, male children, children living in high-density areas and children residing in low-income households are most at-risk for these types of injuries. Between 1995 and 2005, the number of child pedestrian fatalities has decreased by 51 percent.
Parents, caregivers and teachers need to be aware of safety factors for children when they are walking and address those when teaching them about pedestrian safety,� says Sylvia Scholl, Safe Kids Wake County Coalition Coordinator. Walking is an important and healthy activity but everyone needs to do their part to keep this activity safe for kids. Parents and caregivers need to teach children safe behaviors and drivers must be aware and on the lookout for children on or near the road.�
Since 2002, Safe Kids Wake County has worked to reduce the number of child pedestrian deaths in Raleigh by participating in the Walk to School� Program. Through the year-round Safe Kids Walk This Way program, children learn important safety tips and behaviors for walking safely. This year, as part of the program, Safe Kids coalitions in hundreds of communities across the country will hold local educational events, including press conferences, and mass walks to and from school, to shine a light on pedestrian safety issues in their communities. Some important local issues include unsafe intersections, streets where there are no safe sidewalks and dangerous areas where more than one pedestrian has either experienced a near miss or been injured by a car.
If you would like more information about what Safe Kids Wake County is doing to improve child pedestrian safety in our community, please contact Sylvia Scholl Coalition Coordinator at (919) 350-8951. For more information about preventing child pedestrian injuries, visit www.usa.safekids.org/wtw.
