As kids and teens try to squeeze in a few more days of summer fun, they might be walking to and from friends’ homes, or just out and about in the neighborhood. Or, perhaps your children are already back to school and walking to and from the bus stop. Walking is a great form of exercise, but unfortunately, can also be hazardous. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, pedestrian injuries are the fifth leading cause of injury-related death among children ages 5-19. One of the reasons for these injuries? Children are distracted by their cell phones. Children should keep their heads up and their phones down when they are pedestrians.
The personal injury attorneys at Dale E. Anstine want your children to be safe and offer the following tips to share with your family:
Remember basic pedestrian rules.
Review with your child the “rules of the road.” Always walk on the sidewalk, but if there is not one available, walk against the oncoming traffic. Also, make sure your child knows to only cross at crosswalks and look left, right and then left again before crossing. Children should never attempt to cross the street while engaged in a text conversation or when using their cell phones for any reason.
Cell phones should be put away while walking.
If your child has a text they need to send, instruct them to move to a safe place to send the message. In addition, explain that your child should not talk on the phone and walk at the same time because that, too, is a distraction. Phone and text conversations should occur when your child is not engaged in any other activities. Pedestrians have slower reaction times and may be unable to avoid injuries or dangers if they are distracted by a cell phone. If your child is walking, his or her cell phone should be in a pocket or backpack.
Limit the use of headphones as a pedestrian.
Headphones limit your child’s ability to hear traffic and warning signals, especially at busy intersections and roads. Although tempting, children should save their headphones to use in the library, or when walking safely on a trail or hiking path (not a street or road).
At Dale E. Anstine, we believe that many injuries can be prevented by taking a few extra steps to be safe and by setting an example for our youth. “Walk the walk,” so to speak, and take the time to review these tips with your children to stay safe while walking.
Our experienced team of personal injury attorneys at Dale E. Anstine are here when you need them, and you can reach out at any time for a free consultation. Our firm is proud to protect the injured across the Central Pennsylvania community, with offices in York and Gettysburg.