Back to school means back to safety for drivers and parents

TORONTO, Sept. 1 /CNW/ - With children across the country heading back to class, Safe Kids Canada is reminding parents and drivers to ensure kids can walk safely to and from school on our neighbourhood streets. That means drivers need to slow right down in residential areas and parents need to show their children safe pedestrian practices.

Child pedestrian incidents are a leading cause of death for Canadian children under the age of 14. Every year more than 30 children are killed and 2,400 are seriously injured. Most incidents happen between 3 to 6 p.m., when drivers are coming home from work, and children may be walking home from school or activities.

"With children back on the streets in large numbers, we all play a role in helping to keep kids safe while they walk in their communities," says Pamela Fuselli, executive director of Safe Kids Canada. "When drivers slow down, and when parents take every opportunity to teach their children about pedestrian safety, these injuries can be prevented."

The Safe Kids Canada Walk This Way program recommends the following tips for back to school safety:

• Teach your child to stop at the curb, look left, right and left again, and to listen for oncoming traffic.  
  
  
• Children under the age of nine lack the developmental skills to cross the street on their own and should be accompanied by an adult or responsible, older child.
  
  
• Be a role model by walking with your children to school and demonstrating safe pedestrian practices.
  
  
• Drivers need to slow down. The higher the speed, the higher the risk of injury, or even death, to a child pedestrian. If you hit a child at 50km/hr, there is an 80 percent chance that child will die. If you hit a child at 30 km/hr, there is a 95 percent chance that child will live!
  
  
• Distractions are dangerous for drivers and pedestrians. Remind your children to put away their cell phones and take off ear buds before crossing the street.

For more information on child pedestrian safety, including fact sheets and parent tip sheets for the Walk This Way program, visit www.safekidscanada.ca or call 1-888-SAFE-TIP (723-3847).

Safe Kids Canada is generously funded by FedEx Express Canada to provide the Walk This Way pedestrian safety program year-round, providing education, resources and support for parents and community groups to increase the safety of their streets.

About Safe Kids Canada
Safe Kids Canada's mission is to lead and inspire a culture of safety across the country in order to reduce unintentional injuries, the leading cause of death among children and youth in Canada.  As a national leader, Safe Kids Canada uses a collaborative and innovative approach to develop partnerships, conduct research, raise awareness and advocate to prevent serious injuries among children, youth and their families. Our vision is: Healthier Children. Fewer Injuries. A Safer Canada. Safe Kids Canada is the national injury prevention program of The Hospital for Sick Children.

About FedEx Express Canada
Federal Express Canada Ltd. is a global logistics and transportation company offering domestic and international shipping and electronic commerce solutions. The company uses advanced package status tracking systems, automated customs clearance services and a dedicated air and ground transportation network to serve Canadian and global markets. FedEx Express Canada employs approximately 5,000 people in over 60 facilities coast-to-coast. For more information, visit www.fedex.ca.

For further information:

Kelly Mills
Manager, Communications & Marketing
Safe Kids Canada
Tel: [phone]
e-mail: [email protected]